Department for Transport

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much severance pay the Chairman of HS2 Ltd is entitled to.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Sir Terry resigned from his position as Chair. There will be no severance payment, which is consistent with the terms and conditions of this Chair role.

Rail Review

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Williams rail review will include an assessment of HS2; and what assessment he has made of the optimum rail industry structure to ensure that HS2 benefits the entire railway network.

Andrew Jones: As set out in the Williams Rail Review terms of reference announced by the Secretary of State on 11th October, the Review’s remit does not include assessing the specific infrastructure and services that should be provided by the railway. It is therefore not reconsidering public investment decisions made through existing franchise agreements, Control Period 6 commitments, High Speed 2 (HS2) and other major projects. The Review will consider and make recommendations about which structures and commercial models will best serve the current and future railway, including ensuring the benefits from HS2 and other major rail projects are fully captured.

Railways: Croydon

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2018 to Question 191424 on Railways: Croydon, whether the Rail Enhancements Pipeline contains provisions to expedite the development of a Final Business Case where a clear and urgent economic need for infrastructure improvement exists and has been verified by a local enterprise partnership.

Andrew Jones: When the Government published guidance in March 2018, we made clear that the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline would be kept under constant review to ensure that decision making about enhancements is agile. Government will take account of affordability and the need to adjust the pipeline to reflect the changing nature of transport, technology and the economy and support the best outcomes for passengers, freight users and the taxpayer. The Government has already committed more than £28m to fully understand the railway opportunities and challenges in the Croydon area, working closely with local partners. We expect to make decisions on the next stage of work in late 2019.

Railways: Tickets

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many train operating companues offer tickets on smartcards that can be used throughout the rail network.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many train operating companies offer (a) paper and (b) mobile barcode tickets to all destinations on the rail network.

Andrew Jones: The Government’s goal, set out last year in “Connecting people: a strategic vision for rail”, is to make smart ticketing available across almost all the network by the end of this year. The rail industry is on track to deliver a smart card or barcode option that passengers can choose to use for singles, returns and seasons on journeys across almost all of the rail network by the end of the year.

Road Traffic Offences

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the recent Government consultation on New cycling offences: causing death or serious injury while cycling, whether his Department has consulted on introducing new road traffic offences committed by people other than cyclists.

Jesse Norman: The recent consultation related specifically to proposals for new cycling offences.In October last year the Government provided its response to the consultation on serious driving offences and confirmed its intention to increase the maximum penalties for causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs from 14 years’ imprisonment to life and to create a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving.

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 196117 on South Eastern Rail Franchise, when in the New Year he plans to make an announcement on the successful bidder of the new South Eastern rail franchise; and whether the new operator will be ready to take over in April 2019.

Andrew Jones: The evaluation for the South Eastern rail franchise competition continues, and the award for the next franchise will now be made in the New Year.

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to award Govia an extension to the South eastern rail franchise contract.

Andrew Jones: Earlier this year the Secretary of State agreed an extension to run until April next year with a further option to include an additional 3 months if required. The award for the next franchise will now be made in the new year.

Rail Review

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Williams Rail Review been directed to consider (a) Network Rail’s debt and (b) the railway pension scheme.

Andrew Jones: The Williams Rail Review’s Terms of Reference sets out that the Review should consider the long-term affordability of the railway and its recommendations should support delivery of a system that is financially sustainable and able to address long-term cost pressures.

Public Transport: Disability

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will accompany a person with disabilities on public transport in order to gain first-hand experience of the difficulties disabled people can face when accessing public transport.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department is committed to ensuring that disabled people have the same access to transport and opportunities to travel as everyone else. Throughout my time as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responsible for this matter, I have regularly met with disability organisations and disabled people to gain a better understanding of the barriers that can make travel by public transport more difficult than it should be. These meetings, and the Department’s engagement with a wide range of disability groups and other stakeholders, helped shape the Government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy, which was published in July 2018.

Public Transport: Disability

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve assisted travel for disabled people across public transport.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy, published in July 2018, summarises the various steps the Department is taking to make it easier for disabled people to travel by public transport. Among the commitments in the Strategy are that in 2019, the Department will launch a major campaign in England to raise awareness of disabled passengers’ rights when using the transport system and to promote a supportive travelling experience for disabled people. The Department will also develop and launch an accreditation scheme for transport operators to recognise those which show leadership in improving disabled passengers’ experiences, including through providing appropriate disability awareness training. The Department will also work closely with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) to ensure the successful roll-out of a new Passenger Assist application to enable customers to book assistance through a single click. The RDG plan a full roll-out across the rail network from January 2020.

Department for Transport: EU Law

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many in-flight files of EU legislation exist that affect the policy areas managed by his Department; and which in-flight files of EU legislation his Department intends to implement in UK law.

Chris Grayling: During the time-limited implementation period, EU law will continue to apply in the UK subject to the terms set out in the Withdrawal Agreement.After the implementation period, all laws in the UK will be passed by our elected representatives in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. The Political Declaration recognises that the UK may choose to align with the EU’s rules in relevant areas to facilitate trade in goods or security cooperation.In the unlikely event that the backstop were to come into effect, a small fraction of EU rules applying today would apply in Northern Ireland and EU rules on state aid would apply in the UK. However, as the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration make absolutely clear, we do not want or expect the backstop to be needed – and even if it ever were ever to come into effect, it would be strictly temporary.The Official Journal of the European Union publishes upcoming EU legislation for implementation. This is publicly available online:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/oj/direct-access.html

Govia Thameslink Railway: Fares

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will exempt Southern and Thameslink passengers affected by the disruption caused by the May 2018 timetable changes from the 3.1 per cent fare increase due in January 2019.

Andrew Jones: It is absolutely right that passengers are compensated for the disruption they have suffered. We have worked with GTR to establish a special compensation scheme, funded by industry, which is now being delivered. Over £15 million has been paid out so far to over 60,000 passengers. This is in addition to the normal delay repay scheme which, on GTR, compensates passengers for any delay of 15 minutes or more. This compensation provides the equivalent of up to 8% of the cost of an annual season ticket for those most severely impacted. This compensation is more effective and targeted than a blanket 3.1% fares freeze, and benefits passengers more. This scheme means, for example, that a commuter from St Albans buying a monthly season ticket will have received around £350 in compensation, rather than saving around £120 on the cost of their season ticket.

Railways: Disability

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure effective policies are in place to assist disabled passengers during episodes of disruption to train services.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: As a condition of their operating licence all train operators must have a Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP). Within the DPPP, train operators are required to provide details of relevant policies and operational arrangements to ensure that during disruptions disabled passengers can continue their journeys and are not left stranded. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of the DPPP requirements, and have the powers to take enforcement action where there are breaches of licence conditions.

Northern Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with Arriva Rail North on renegotiating the terms of the Northern Rail franchise in the last 12 months.

Andrew Jones: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with all of our Train Operating Companies and owning groups on franchise matters.

Northern Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency plans his Department has made for an operator of last resort for the Northern Rail franchise.

Andrew Jones: In line with his statutory duty the Secretary of State maintains an Operator of Last Resort capability and has a team of specialists in place to monitor all rail franchises including Northern Rail.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Industry

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and affordability for industry of his energy efficiency policies.

Claire Perry: Regulatory impact assessments are routinely prepared as part of the policy making process setting out the costs and benefits for industry of new energy efficiency policies. For example: Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) –https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/energy-savings-opportunity-schemeStreamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) – https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/streamlined-energy-and-carbon-reportingCRC Energy Efficiency Scheme - https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110405161430/http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/crc/crc.aspxIndustrial Heat Recovery Scheme - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/industrial-heat-recovery-support-programmeWe also undertake evaluations to tell us what works and what does not, including the extent to which our policies are achieving their objectives and their impact on industry. We are currently conducting a number of evaluations, including of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme and Climate Change Agreements to inform future policy development. In developing further policies to meet our ambition set out in the Clean Growth Strategy to support businesses to improve their energy efficiency by at least 20% by 2030, we issued a call for evidence to seek views from industry and other stakeholders on our proposed approach. We are currently analysing the responses and we will publish further details in 2019. At Budget 2018, we announced the establishment of a £315M Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to help businesses with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future cutting their bills and carbon emissions. We also announced the issue of a call for evidence on introducing a new Business Energy Efficiency Scheme focused on smaller businesses. We are planning to publish further details on these announcements in 2019.

Energy: Public Opinion

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the BEIS Public Attitudes Tracker, which types of energy are the (a) most and (b) least popular among the public.

Claire Perry: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy publishes the quarterly Public Attitudes Tracker, covering perceptions on a range of the Department’s policy areas. The latest report was published on 8 November 2018 using survey data collected between 19 - 30 September 2018. The report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/beis-public-attitudes-tracker-wave-27.

Biotechnology

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the bioeconomy sector deal.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



Several sectors, including the bioeconomy sector, have expressed an interest in a Sector Deal. We intend to take forward further Deals that best meet expectations set out in the White Paper in due course. I am pleased to say that on 5th December 2018 the UK’s first Bioeconomy Strategy was published on GOV.UK, to provide a framework for growth to 2030.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Overseas Aid

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of his Department's ODA-funded projects are listed on the Department for International Development's Development Tracker website.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



BEIS is committed to meeting the Government’s target for transparency and to score ‘good’ or ‘very good’ on the Publish What You Fund aid transparency index. 29 of the Department’s 30 International Climate Finance programmes are listed on the Development Tracker website. This represents 96% of the Department’s International Climate Finance programmes, covering 99% of BEIS International Climate Finance expenditure from 2010/11 to the end of 2017/18. At present BEIS does not publish detail of its research and innovation (R&I) spend on the Development Tracker website. However, much of the detail is published on the Gateway to Research website, which is run by UK Research and Innovation. BEIS is currently implementing a technical solution to be able to fully publish details of its R&I expenditure to the International Aid Transparency Index, which can be automatically accessed by the Development Tracker.

Overseas Aid

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Independent Commission for Aid report, Global Challenges Research Fund - a rapid review, published in September 2017, what progress his Department has made on delivering recommendation 3 of that report.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



BEIS accepted recommendation 3 of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s (ICAI) report and is taking action accordingly to enhance assessment of the performance of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). We have commissioned an evaluation of the GCRF by the independent contractor ITAD, the first stage of which established a clear Theory of Change. ITAD is now refining a further comprehensive evaluation methodology for the fund. Work is also being undertaken to provide assurance on value for money and to develop Key Performance Indicators to enable monitoring of project and portfolio outcomes. BEIS is actively engaged with ICAI in their follow up to the review.

Health Services and Social Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has for a care sector deal.

Richard Harrington: Sector Deals proposals are brought forward by the sectors themselves. The Government will discuss Sector Deals with any sector which can demonstrate how a Deal will meet the six expectations that we set out in the Industrial Strategy.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: EU Law

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many in-flight files of EU legislation exist that affect the policy areas managed by his Department; and which in-flight files of EU legislation his Department intends to implement in UK law.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nuclear Installations: Inspections

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many inspectors have been appointed to carry out functions previously administered by Euratom since June 2016.

Richard Harrington: The Office for Nuclear Regulation’s (ONR) recruitment target for the first phase of the UK State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material project has been met, with 15 safeguards officers currently in place and undergoing training to become safeguards inspectors. ONR is confident it will have the necessary number of inspectors in place to enable the UK to meet its international safeguards, and non-proliferation, obligations when Euratom arrangements cease to apply in the UK.

Energy: Meters

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department is making on the roll-out of smart meters to every home by 2020.

Claire Perry: There are now over 12.8 million smart and advanced meters operating in smart mode across Great Britain, helping consumers take control of their energy use and save money. The rollout is making good progress, with over a million smart meters installed every quarter in 2018.

Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to introduce a Steel Sector Deal.

Richard Harrington: The Government remains committed to a strong steel industry. Last year we commissioned independent research which identified future domestic market opportunities for the UK steel sector worth an additional £3.8 billion per year by 2030. In our continuing sector deal discussions, we are actively encouraging the UK steel sector to come forward with their plans to exploit these opportunities and improve their competitiveness. In parallel we are also discussing with individual steel producers their investment plans for a sustainable future. We will continue to work closely with the sector, their supply chains, the trade unions, and the devolved administrations.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Eswatini: Human Rights

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of human rights violations in eSwatini.

Harriett Baldwin: In recent years the Eswatini Government has made a number of positive legislative changes, with respect to the human rights of its citizens. These include the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act, which was signed into law in July 2018. However, the human rights situation in Eswatini remains troubling and we regularly raise our concerns with the Swazi authorities. The UK was a full participant in the Eswatini’s Universal Periodic Review, which took place in at the Human Rights Council in Geneva in 2016, where a series of recommendations were made. We continue to press for an improvement in the Human Rights situation in Eswatini, including the implementation of these recommendations.

United Arab Emirates: Prisoners

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens are imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates.

Alistair Burt: ​As of November 2018, we are aware of 107 British nationals in arrest or detention cases in the United Arab Emirates. This can include British nationals in immigration detention, in police custody, on remand awaiting trial, on bail, and sentenced prisoners. We collate detainee statistics twice a year from our case management system records to provide a snapshot of the number of British national arrest/detention cases reported to us.Our staff aim to make contact as soon as possible after being told about the arrest or detention of a British national, and then provide assistance according to the individual’s circumstances.

Yemen: UN Resolutions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to table a new resolution on Yemen to the Security Council of the UN.

Alistair Burt: A UN Security Council resolution is one of the means we are pursuing in order to achieve a lasting political and humanitarian solution. Discussions on the resolution are ongoing and we will put it to a vote at the point that best delivers for the people of Yemen. We welcome the beginning of proceedings in Stockholm for meaningful talks hosted by the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths. We encourage both sides to engage constructively and in good faith to overcome obstacles and find a political solution to end the conflict. We are determined to use the window of opportunity before us to make progress towards ending the conflict in Yemen.

Eswatini: Elections

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment has he made of whether the eSwatini elections were free and fair.

Harriett Baldwin: The British High Commission in Pretoria deployed an informal election observation team to Eswatini in September. They, along with a number of official international observers, assessed the elections to be broadly free, fair and orderly. However, in line with the African Union's own election monitoring report, we note that the participation of political parties was prohibited and we recommend that Eswatini lift this restriction for future elections, so as to enable a more open and democratic system for its voters.

South Sudan: Arms Control

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he Department allocates funding to projects to reduce the number of small arms imported into South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently allocate funding to projects to reduce the number of small arms imported into South Sudan. The UK played a leading role in securing a UN arms embargo on South Sudan and our focus is on political engagement to ensure that it is rigorously implemented by the region and by the wider international community to prevent the flow of weapons fuelling conflict.

South Sudan: Reparation by Offenders

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the wider take-up of restorative justice as a form of reconciliation in South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: Transitional and restorative justice mechanisms have a vital role to play in addressing the culture of impunity that persists in South Sudan, and in promoting healing and reconciliation for the victims of human rights violations and abuses. We welcome the recommitment made by the parties to the conflict in the recent peace agreement to establish such mechanisms, including the Commission on Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing, the Compensation and Reparations Authority, and the Hybrid Court for South Sudan.Through engagement by Ministers and senior officials, and alongside our Troika partners, we continue to urge the Government of South Sudan and all other parties to the agreement to fulfil their commitments, to bring an end to the divisions and conflict for the sake of the people of South Sudan.

Hamas and Palestinians: Torture

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the conclusions of the report entitled, Two Authorities, One Way, Zero Dissent on arbitrary arrest and torture under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, published in October 2018 by Human Rights Watch.

Alistair Burt: ​The Human Rights Watch report has made some serious and concerning allegations about human rights violations by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and we have raised our concerns with the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem continue to urge the PA to respect human rights, and have stressed the need to ensure freedom of speech, association and assembly. UK Official Development Assistance does not provide financial assistance or assets to support the PA agencies implicated in the Human Rights Watch report. We continue to have a no contact policy with Hamas in its entirety. The UK delivers training courses and supports the development of training institutions across the PA security sector. These courses serve to reinforce accountability, responsible governance and a common approach to the upholding of human rights and human rights law.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of political stability in Afghanistan.

Mark Field: The UK supports the Afghan government's ambition to become a more prosperous and stable state. The ongoing conflict adds to the challenges around this. There have been signs of progress: October's parliamentary elections, the first Afghan-led and secured election since 2001, saw over four million Afghans vote. We are now working with partners to encourage Afghanistan's Election Management bodies learn lessons from these elections ahead of the presidential poll in 2019.The UK believes that a political solution to the conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan government is the only way to achieve lasting stability in Afghanistan. We believe there is an opportunity over the next few months to make progress on moving towards a credible peace process.

Egypt: Human Rights

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of human rights protection in Egypt.

Alistair Burt: Egypt is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country and the UK continues to urge the Egyptian Government to ensure full implementation of the rights and freedoms set out in Egypt's Constitution. We regularly raise concerns about human rights with the Egyptian Government both in public and in private. I raised our human rights concerns with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during my visit to Cairo on 14 October.

Central African Republic: Courts

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the work of the Special Criminal Court established in the Central African Republic in November 2018.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK commends the creation of the Special Criminal Court, and efforts to reinforce and develop the national capacity for investigation and prosecution. This is a positive step in the Central African Republic's efforts, supported by the International Community, to promote an independent, impartial and effective judiciary. The UK also supports efforts to uphold the rule of law through its contribution to the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA).Last month's inaugural session of the Court was a significant step in the ongoing fight against impunity in the country.

Cabinet Office

Public Expenditure

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has had discussions with the Treasury on the National Audit Office report on improving the Government's planning and spending framework; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: Discussions on the NAO's report on improving the Government's planning and spending framework would be undertaken by senior officials in both Departments. The report is then signed and agreed by both Departmental Permanent Secretaries.

Facebook: Advertising

Deidre Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Facebook advertisement entitled The Brexit Deal explained does not appear in Facebook Ad Library as a political advertisement.

Chloe Smith: The format of the advert was a video and it started before Facebook's new transparency rules came into effect on the 29 November. The advert finished on the 30 November, while Facebook was still rolling out the ads library to advertisers across the UK, therefore it wasn't placed in the library.

Brexit

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the (a) legislative requirements and (b) timetable required to hold a second referendum on the UK leaving the EU.

Chloe Smith: An Act of Parliament is required before any UK-wide referendum can be held. It is for Parliament to debate and agree the terms under which any referendum would take place, including provisions for setting the date, franchise and the question that would appear on the ballot paper. Processes to hold any referendum must, in addition, incorporate adequate time to prepare for the poll and a minimum campaigning period. The Electoral Commission recommends that legislation relating to a poll should be clear at least six months before it is required to be implemented or complied with.A majority of the electorate voted to leave the EU in June 2016. The British people made their choice and they want their Government to deliver on that choice.  It is a matter of Government policy that there will not be a second referendum on our exit from the EU.

Government Departments: Social Media

Ben Bradley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has been spent from the public purse on promoting social media posts on (a) Twitter, (b) Facebook and (c) other social media relating to the UK's exit from the EU by (i) 10 Downing Street, (ii) HM Treasury, (iii) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (iv) the Department for Exiting the European Union and (v) his Department (A) between 12 July 2018 and 15 November 2018 and (B) since 16 November 2018; and what proportion of the annual Government communications expenditure those figures represent in each of those periods.

Ben Bradley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has been spent from the public purse on promoting adverts on (a) Google and (b) other media relating to the UK's exit from the EU by (i) 10 Downing Street, (ii) HM Treasury, (iii) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (iv) the Department for Exiting the European Union and (v) his Department (A) between 12 July 2018 and 15 November 2018 and (B) since 16 November 2018; and what proportion of the annual Government communications expenditure those figures represent in each of those periods.

Chloe Smith: This answer relates to spend from the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office only. Between 12 July 2018 and 15 November 2018, the Cabinet Office and Prime Minister’s Office spent £32,512.98 on social media posts related to the UK’s exit from the EU. Spend for November will be published in due course as part of our normal data release. Furthermore, the Cabinet Office and Prime Minister’s Office did not spend any money with Google or other media on promoting adverts related to the UK’s exit from the EU. Spend for November will be published in due course as part of our normal data release.

Prime Minister: Brexit

Layla Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2018 to Question 192871 on Prime Minister: Brexit, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse on promoting social media posts on the UK leaving the EU on (a) the @10DowningStreet Twitter account and (b) other online platforms for which the Government is responsible since 20 November 2018; and how much is expected to be spent up to 31 December 2018.

Chloe Smith: Spend will be published in due course as part of our normal data release.

Department of Health and Social Care

Paramedical Staff: Pensions

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for how many years on average paramedics contribute to their employee pensions.

Stephen Hammond: We do not hold data on average length of pension scheme membership for paramedics as a staff group. NHS Pension Scheme records are held at individual level and for whole scheme membership, but we do not isolate individual staff groups to make assessments of their scheme membership behaviours.

Childbirth

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women reported experiencing birth trauma; and how much funding his Department has allocated to birth trauma support in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data is not available in the format requested.

Clinical Waste

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will estimate how much (a) anatomical and (b) cytotoxic waste the NHS (i) produced in (A) 2017 and (B) 2018 and (ii) will produce in (A) 2025 and (B) 2030.

Stephen Hammond: The following table shows the information that NHS Improvement hold for the waste produced by the National Health Service in 2017 and 2018. NHS Improvement does not currently hold a breakdown of waste into anatomical and cytotoxic. The data contained within this table relates only to England. As waste disposal is a devolved matter, devolved administrations should be contacted for figures in those nations. NHS Improvement and the Environment Agency are not in a position to estimate anatomical and cytotoxic waste figures in 2025 and 2030.  Sum of Landfill disposal volume (Tonnes)Sum of Incineration disposal volume (Tonnes)Sum of Waste recycling volume (Tonnes)Sum of Other recovery volume (Tonnes)2017-1858,15274,730107,848183,5022016-1788,594148,424137,442216,495

Smoking

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on campaigns to promote the cessation of smoking in 2018-19; and what funding his Department plans to allocated to cessation campaigns in 2018-19.

Steve Brine: Public Health England runs smoking cessation campaigns. Media spend to date during 2018/19 on campaigns to promote the cessation of smoking is £1.2 million. £2.4 million has been allocated in total for the media spend on cessation campaigns in 2018/19. As the 2018/19 financial year is not yet complete and campaign work is ongoing, these figures should be considered provisional. Figures are net plus agency fees and commissions (rounded to the nearest £100,000). Figures exclude Value Added Tax.

Diabetes: North East

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people with diabetes in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East.

Steve Brine: The information requested is not centrally held.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the date by which all places for gay and bisexual men on the PrEP Impact Trial will have been filled; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: Recruitment has been variable across England and it is expected that most of the larger clinics and many of the smaller clinics will have filled the places allocated to them for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men by March 2019. There are likely to be some places available at some of the smaller clinics for an undetermined period beyond March 2019.

Nabiximols

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in England have been prescribed Sativex in each year since 2010

Steve Brine: NHS Digital reports that it does not hold information on the number of people in England who were prescribed Sativex in the years specified. NHS Digital does, however, hold data about prescription items dispensed by doctors and community pharmacies in England, which is detailed in the following table. YearCannabis (Sativex)20102,50220112,96420122,81320132,83220142,70320152,44820162,24920172,204Source: Prescription Cost Analysis, NHS Digital Notes:Information is provided for Cannabis (Sativex) as listed in the British National Formulary in Section 10.2.2 – Skeletal muscle relaxants, using the classification system prior to edition 70.NHS Digital does not hold data on drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.NHS Digital does not hold data about prescriptions written but not dispensed.

Diabetes: Lewisham

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in the (a) London borough of Lewisham and (b) Lewisham Deptford constituency are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Steve Brine: Data concerning the number of people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes at a London borough and constituency level is not centrally held. Public Health England has developed a prevalence model for non-diabetic hyperglycaemia which estimates that in 2015 there were 25,692 individuals living in Lewisham Local Authority at risk of type 2 diabetes.

Primary Health Care: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government announcement of 21 November 2018 entitled New funding for primary and community healthcare by 2023-24 under the NHS Long Term Plan, how he plans to allocate the £3.5 billion of new funding up to 2023-24.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government announcement of 21 November 2018 entitled New funding for primary and community healthcare by 2023-24 under the NHS Long Term Plan, how much of that funding will be made available to (a) Mid-Essex Clinical Commissioning Group and (b) North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government announcement of 21 November 2018 entitled New funding for primary and community healthcare by 2023-24 under the NHS Long Term Plan, how much of that funding will be allocated to support the development of multi-disciplinary healthcare centres.

Steve Brine: On 21 November 2018, the Prime Minister announced investment in primary and community healthcare worth an additional £3.5 billion a year in real terms by 2023/4 and a commitment to ensure a growing share of overall National Health Service spending for primary medical and community healthcare. Allocation of the £3.5 billion of new funding is currently under consideration. The long-term plan is due to be published later this year with allocations for individual clinical commissioning groups expected to be determined early in the new year.

Patients: Safety

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October to Question 177600 on Patients, how many patient safety incidents were recorded as absconder or missing patient by hospitals in England and Wales in the National Reporting and Learning System in each NHS trust in the latest period for which information is available.

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2018 to Question 177600 on Patients, how many patient safety incidents were recorded as absconder or missing patient by hospitals in England and Wales in the National Reporting and Learning System involved mental health patients in the latest period for which information is available.

Caroline Dinenage: During the period 1 October 2017 to 31 March 2018, the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) recorded 12,405 cases of ‘missing or absconded patient’ from a National Health Service trust hospital in England and Wales, including incidents involving a mental health patient. This category on the NRLS also includes patients who left without signing a ‘discharge against medical advice’ form and those who failed to return from agreed leave, on time. The attached tables show a breakdown of these cases by NHS trust for both England and Wales respectively. If a NHS trust does not appear in these tables, this is because the number of incidents is ‘0’. During the same period, the NRLS recorded 6,186 cases of ‘missing or absconded patient’ involving a mental health patient in England and Wales. This breaks down as 5,946 in England and 240 in Wales. This category on the NRLS also includes patients who left without signing a ‘discharge against medical advice’ form and those who failed to return from agreed leave on time.



PQ198237,198238 attached table
(Word Document, 31.04 KB)

General Practitioners: Essex

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP vacancies there are in (a) Witham constituency and (b) Essex.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment and retention of GPs in (a) Witham constituency and (b) Essex.

Steve Brine: The number of general practitioner (GP) vacancies in Witham constituency and Essex is not collected or held centrally. This data is only published at a national level. Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), has advised that it recognises that GP availability is challenging and it has therefore funded recruitment of other clinical roles in primary care, such as paramedics, to support practices in Witham and elsewhere. Getting the skills mix right in general practice is critical in addressing workload pressures as well as in delivering appropriate patient care. This will mean bigger teams of staff, providing a wider range of care options for patients and freeing up more time for GPs to focus on those with more complex needs. The CCG has advised that it is working with its member practices, including those in Witham, to reflect this national priority. Practices have the discretion within their contracts to decide the staff skill mix required to meet their patient populations’ needs. The CCG and colleagues across the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership have advised they are also focusing on European Union and international GP recruitment and are supporting GPs in accessing the GP retention scheme. They have also advised that they are supporting the development of the School of Medicine at Anglia Ruskin University and are working in partnership with the Essex Primary Care Inter-professional Centre around a localised clinical recruitment service called Essex Primary Care Careers.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2018 to Question 193434, what plans his Department has to ensure 100 per cent of people with first episode psychosis start treatment with a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended package of care through a specialist Early Intervention in Psychosis service within two weeks of referral.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government is committed to supporting services to deliver the Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) access and waiting time standards. The latest data indicates that the National Health Service is exceeding the waiting time target of at least 60% of patients accessing EIP services within two weeks by 2020/21. In September 2018, 76.1% of patients were accessing the services within this time frame. On the element of the standard on access to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)-concordant care, NHS England gathers and compiles data on rates of access to NICE-recommended treatments through EIP services for people experiencing first episode psychosis. It has established an expected trajectory for year-on-year improvements in access rates and EIP teams undertake an annual, audited self-assessment to gauge progress against this. In addition, NHS England, its national partners and its clinical networks are also collating and sharing best practice and supporting training and innovation in care.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2018 to Question 188806, what plans his Department has to make an assessment of the effect of changes in the level of funding for (a) Sure Start centres, (b) youth centres and (c) other universal services on trends in the level of demand for NHS mental health services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: There are no plans to make a formal assessment. The Government is committed to widening access to children and young people’s mental health services to address unmet need and ensure that more children and young people can get the support they need, at the right time.

Drugs: Misuse

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication entitled, NHS Digital Statistics on drug misuse (November update) published November 2018, what plans his Department has to reduce the number of older people treated in hospital for drug-related mental health disorders.

Steve Brine: Local authorities are responsible for assessing the needs of their local population, including older people with drug related problems, and commissioning services to meet these needs. Local authorities and the National Health Service need to work together to assess local needs and align commissioning to support people who have co-occurring mental health and drug use conditions, to try to prevent them needing to be treated in hospital. Public Health England (PHE) works with local authorities, supporting the needs assessment and commissioning process, with data, guidance and other tools. This includes publishing guidance on meeting the needs of people with co-occurring mental health and drug use conditions, and providing data about these conditions on PHE’s Fingertips website.

Prescriptions: ICT

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the roll-out of electronic prescribing medications systems; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: Work is already underway to accelerate the roll-out electronic prescribing and medicines administration systems across the NHS in England. Capital funding of £75 million over three years has been allocated to support this roll-out, with £16 million available in 2018/19. Trusts were invited to submit bids to be included in wave 1 of the roll-out in July 2018, and the 13 successful applicants were informed at the beginning of October 2018. Further bids will be invited for wave 2 funding in January 2019 for award in the subsequent financial year.

NHS: Drugs

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the administration of medicines in NHS trusts.

Caroline Dinenage: Medicines administration processes are complex and technology can help support staff to prescribe and administer medicines safely. We are accelerating the roll-out of electronic prescribing and administration systems to National Health Service trusts. The roll-out is in its first phase, with 13 trusts informed of their successful applications in October. Additional capital funding is secured for the following two financial years. The second phase will allow trusts to apply for funding as part of the roll-out in January 2019 for award in the 2019/20 financial year.

NHS: Drugs

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse of the NHS of the mandatory introduction of automated medicines cabinets in each NHS Trust.

Caroline Dinenage: No such estimate has been made.

Dental Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of dental treatments available through the NHS and private dentists.

Steve Brine: Dental treatment that is clinically necessary to protect and maintain good oral health is available on the National Health Service. As in other areas, cosmetic treatments are not usually made available through the NHS. Dentists providing care under the NHS exercise clinical judgement in deciding what treatment is clinically required.

Social Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the potential merits of a care sector deal.

Caroline Dinenage: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care meets regularly with his Cabinet colleagues, discussing a range of issues.

Department of Health and Social Care: EU Law

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many in-flight files of EU legislation exist that affect the policy areas managed by his Department; and which in-flight files of EU legislation his Department intends to implement in UK law.

Stephen Hammond: During the time-limited implementation period, European Union law will continue to apply in the United Kingdom subject to the terms set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. After the implementation period, all laws in the UK will be passed by our electedrepresentatives in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. The Political Declaration recognises that the UK may choose to align with the EU’s rules in relevant areas to facilitate trade in goods or security cooperation. In the unlikely event that the backstop were to come into effect, a small fraction of EU rules applying today would apply in Northern Ireland and EU rules on state aid would apply in the UK. However, as the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration make absolutely clear, we do not want or expect the backstop to be needed – and even if it ever were ever to come into effect, it would be strictly temporary. There are five in-flight files of EU legislation that effect policy areas managed by the Department. These are regarding Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Falsified Medicines, Clinical Trials, Medical Devices and Food Standards. The HTA and Food Standards regulations are currently under negotiation. Implementation of these files into UK law will depend on the outcome of negotiations with the EU on our future relationships. The Falsified Medicines, Medical Devices and Clinical Trials regulations are due to come into force either before the UK’s departure from the EU or during the implementation period and therefore we intend to implement these three regulations into UK law.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients: Ethnic Groups

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, published on 6 December 2018, what assessment he has made of the finding that a disproportionate number of people from ethnic minorities have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Final report of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, published on 6 December 2018, what steps his Department plans to take to enable patients to choose a new Nominated Person to replace the current Nearest Relative role under section 26 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Final report of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, published on 6 December 2018, what steps his Department plans to take to assess the alternatives to detention and prevention of crisis.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to accept all of the recommendations of the Final report of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, published on 6 December 2018.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We welcome the final report of the independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983. One of the reasons the Government commissioned the review was to understand better the reasons behind the disproportionate number of people from black and minority ethnic groups detained under the Act, and for suggested next steps to be recommended. The Government has already accepted two of the recommendations of the review including the creation of a new role of nominated person, chosen by the patient, to replace the current nearest relative provisions. We will consider the report and its recommendations in detail and respond in due course. We remain committed to reforming mental health law and will develop and bring forward legislation when Parliamentary time allows.

Breast Cancer

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the number of patients in England who are currently receiving treatment for secondary breast cancer.

Steve Brine: This information is not held centrally.

Mental Health Act 1983 Independent Review

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Final report of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, published on December 2018, what steps the Government plans to take to seek greater representation of people from ethnic minority backgrounds, especially those of black African and Caribbean heritage in key health and care professions.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We welcome the final report of the independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983. We will consider the report and its recommendations in detail and respond in due course. We remain committed to reforming mental health law and will develop and bring forward legislation when Parliamentary time allows. The Government recently set a goal for the National Health Service to ensure that representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals at very senior management levels will match that across the rest of the NHS workforce within 10 years. As part of this, ongoing implementation of the NHS Workforce Race Quality Standard is taking steps towards ensuring employees from BAME backgrounds have equal access to career opportunities and receive fair treatment in the workplace.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Health Services

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Government’s response to the Fifth Report of the International Development Committee, HC246 of Session 2014-15 on Strengthening Health Systems in Developing Countries, when her Department plans to publish its position paper on health systems strengthening.

Alistair Burt: DFID will publish a health systems strengthening position paper in 2019 outlining our approach to provision of quality, accessible services, ensuring respect for people’s rights and leaving no one behind. Across the world, countries will need stronger health systems if we are to make progress towards the UN Global Goal for health and well-being, including achieving universal health coverage.

Colombia: Overseas Aid

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Afro-descendant-led organisations in Colombia are in receipt of UK Government funding.

Alistair Burt: UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) data is collected and reported according to a standard international classification produced by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).Following this classification, data is collected by broad groups of delivery partners and reported as such in TableA5 of DFID’s Statistics on International Development publication, available here.

South Sudan: Conflict Resolution

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether his Department allocates funding to the church-led people-to-people initiatives in South Sudan.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department allocates funding to women-led peace initiatives in South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: Through the Conflict, Security, and Stability Fund (CSSF) the UK provides funding for the South Sudan Council of Churches’ National Action Plan for Peace, which promotes peacebuilding, reconciliation, and mediation efforts at the local level, dialogue within and across communities, and between national level leaders.The UK recognises the vital role that women have to play in peacebuilding in South Sudan. We consistently advocated for the inclusion of women (as well as faith groups, refugees, and internally displaced people) in the peace process; and through sustained engagement (including with women’s groups in Juba and across South Sudan), we will continue to do so as implementation of the 12 September agreement proceeds. While we do not currently fund any specific women-led peace initiatives in South Sudan, we continue to ensure that women are fully represented in all CSSF funded peacebuilding activities, including the Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund, and the Conflict Early Warning and Early Response System.

Department for Education

Children: Protection

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support local leaders in delivering better outcomes for vulnerable children.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government is committed to ensuring that all children, irrespective of background, have a fair chance to go as far as their talent and hard work will take them. Every child – including those from economically deprived backgrounds, with special educational needs, or who are in need of help and protection from children’s social care – should have the opportunity to achieve good outcomes. The government is working to ensure that local leaders are supported to provide these vulnerable children with the services they need to achieve well in education and, where necessary, to have a safe and stable home life.To help school leaders support the most disadvantaged children, we have spent over £13 billion since 2011 – almost £2.4 billion this year alone – through the pupil premium to tackle educational inequality. In 2011 we established the Education Endowment Foundation with £137 million to research and promote the most effective ways of using pupil premium, so that schools leaders can improve their disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes.In schools, our system leaders continue to provide support to help deliver better outcomes for vulnerable children. To ensure that system leaders can support all students, teaching schools must demonstrate high levels of progress and attainment for all pupils, and especially disadvantaged pupils, in order to be designated and funded by the department.We know that many disadvantaged pupils have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the government has also provided over £340 million since April 2014, to support local authorities, working with their partners, including health and schools, to implement the SEND reforms. We have funded training and a SEND leadership programme to support local authorities and health services to deliver their SEND services, which included training on joint commissioning.Equally, where children need help and support from social care to achieve safety and stability in their lives, we know effective leadership is vital for good practice to thrive. ‘Putting Children First’ sets out our reform programme to improve the quality of leadership and of the workforce in children’s social care. As part of these reforms, we have established the Children’s Social Care What Works Centre, to develop the evidence base for leaders to use in delivering what works to support vulnerable children and families. We are building further evidence of what works to improve these children’s educational outcomes at a national and a local level through the Children in Need review.

Social Services: Children

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support local leaders in delivering the best outcomes for children through the delivery of high-quality children’s services.

Nadhim Zahawi: Effective leadership is vital for high quality local children’s services. We are improving the quality of leadership through £2 million for the Local Government Association to provide support to lead members and chief executives, and are increasing the support to Directors of children’s services. We have an ambitious programme to improve the social work workforce, which underpins transformative children’s services. We are improving the quality of social work initial education thorough £24 million in total supporting Teaching Partnerships, and our fast-track entry programmes - Step Up to Social Work and Frontline - have seen over 1,450 social workers trained. We are investing in professional development with £5 million annually for high quality programmes for those starting as social work practitioners, and over £4 million in total on supervisors and practice leaders.Alongside this, we are creating effective system infrastructure to ensure high quality professional practice and standards become the norm, through the introduction of Social Work England and the National Assessment and Accreditation System. We are supporting innovation and regionally targeted improvement support (the innovation programme and Partners in Practice), and building understanding of the evidence on what drives system improvement through the What Works Centre in social care.

Social Services: Children

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of demand for local authority-provided children’s services.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department publishes a range of statistics on children’s services and these data are available to all local authorities to help benchmark their services. This data shows that since 2013, levels of Children in Need, Children Protection Plans and Looked after Children have risen by 7.1%; 24.5% and 10.7% respectively.The government is working between now and the Spending Review 2019 to get a sharper and more granular picture of demand for children’s services, to help ensure that local authorities have the resources they need.We are also working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the fair funding review of relative needs and resources, which is considering levels of demand in local authorities in more detail.

Social Services: Children

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the long-term economic merits of supporting children to have a safe, happy and healthy childhood.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department’s vision is to provide world-class education, training and care to make sure that everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life. This will create a more productive economy, so that our country is fit for the future. For example, one of the department’s priorities is to improve our understanding of child wellbeing and happiness. Beginning in 2019, the government will publish a State of the Nation report every year on World Mental Health Day. This report will highlight the trends and issues in young people’s mental well-being - the first time children’s mental health will be reported in this way, alongside their physical health and academic attainment. The government will also provide tools to help schools measure their students’ health, including their mental wellbeing - building on the commitment to make education in mental health and resilience a compulsory part of the curriculum. Further information on these announcements can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-pledges-action-on-suicide-to-mark-world-mental-health-day. The department has also announced it is developing an activity passport - a template intended to provide ideas to schools to support their efforts to encourage young people to try a wider range of activities and develop new interests. Further details on how the department will ensure that education builds character, resilience and well-being is provided in our single departmental plan, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-single-departmental-plan/may-2018-department-for-education-single-departmental-plan. Nothing is more important than safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. This is why we have strengthened local safeguarding arrangements through the Children and Social Work Act (2017) by placing a duty on the safeguarding partners, - the police, health and the local authority - to work together to make plans to keep children safe. As part of this we have consulted on and updated the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ statutory guidance. All children deserve a safe environment in which they can learn and schools and colleges are under a legislative duty to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils. We recently consulted on and strengthened the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, statutory guidance for schools. We also provide a range of advice documents to support schools and colleges to keep their children safe, including sexual harassment and sexual violence advice, bullying advice and behaviour advice.

Social Services: Children

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of local authority children’s services budgets.

Nadhim Zahawi: This government has made available over £200 billion for local services in England over the current five-year spending period (from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020). Funding for children’s services is a non-ringfenced part of the wider local government finance settlement. It is for councils to decide how best to use their settlement funding to meet their statutory duties and deliver the local services their communities want to see. Funding for local government services, including children’s services, is set initially at the spending review. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that the next spending review will be in 2019. To help ensure decisions at the next spending review are based on the best available evidence, the government is working with the sector to develop a thorough understanding of children’s services costs and pressures. The annual settlement helps determine the distribution of that funding to councils using an assessment of relative needs and resources, which includes a children’s services funding formula. In preparation for the spending review, and as part of the government’s review of relative needs and resources, new, up-to-date formulas are being developed to ensure funding distribution to councils is based on the best available evidence. The Department for Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have commissioned an ambitious data research project from independent contractors to inform this work.

Schools: Food

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2018 to Question 189628, whether the healthy rating scheme will (a) be linked to Ofsted ratings and (b) apply to primary and secondary schools.

Nadhim Zahawi: It is critical that we reflect carefully on the feedback we have received on the healthy school rating scheme, to ensure we support schools as effectively as possible. The details of how the scheme will interact with stakeholders and schools will be announced shortly.

Teachers: Lewisham

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the pupil to teacher ratio was in primary schools in (a) Lewisham Deptford constituency and (b) the London borough of Lewisham in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the pupil to teacher ratios, calculated using both qualified and unqualified teachers, in state funded primary schools (excluding nursery schools) in Lewisham, Deptford constituency, the London Borough of Lewisham, and England from November 2011 to 2017. These figures are not available for 2010.Pupil to teacher ratios[1] Primary Schools[2] Lewisham, DeptfordLondon Borough of LewishamEngland2011[3]23.423.420.52012[4]23.324.020.52013[5]21.622.120.52014[6]21.621.520.4201520.921.220.5201620.320.620.6201720.520.120.9 Source: School Workforce Census and Pupil Census [1] The Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs) are calculated by dividing the total full time equivalent (FTE) number of pupils on roll in schools in each year by the total number of FTE teachers in schools in each year. Where schools are not open on Census day (January) they are excluded. See School Workforce Census methodology document for further information: Methodology: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/719857/SWFC_MethodologyDocument_.pdf.[2] Excludes nursery schools.[3] Figures for Lewisham exclude 23 out of 66 primary schools that had PTRs that were not credibleor did not provide a return for teachers.[4] Figures for Lewisham exclude 12 out of 66 primary schools that were not credible.[5] Figures for Lewisham exclude four out of 67 primary schools that were not credible.[6] Figures for Lewisham exclude one out of 66 primary schools that were not credible.

Department of Education: Recruitment

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pots of funding there are in his Department for training, upskilling and incentivising recruitment; and what the value is of those funds.

Anne Milton: The department has allocated a central budget for this financial year of £2.28 million to support the training and upskilling of Department for Education (DfE) staff (£521,000) and apprenticeship programmes (£1.759 million) for DfE staff.The department’s central recruitment budget for this financial year is £602,000 to cover Government Recruitment Services for all grades, attraction spend, senior civil service (SCS) Individual Leadership Assessments and other SCS recruitment costs.The central allocations above support departmental priorities. DfE teams hold local budgets to support team related priorities.

Children in Care: Missing Persons

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children placed in children’s homes (a) inside and (b) outside the borough of the authority responsible for their care were reported missing in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nadhim Zahawi: Information on the number of missing and away without authorisation incidents of looked after children in children’s homes by the location of the placement is shown in the attached table. The location reflects whether the child’s placement is inside or outside the boundary of the authority responsible for care.This information was collected for the first time in 2014-15 and so figures for 2013-14 are not held centrally.These statistics are experimental statistics based on data collected for the first time in 2015 and should be treated with caution. The figures are therefore not comparable between years and any assessment of trends should take this into account. The information provided does not mean that the number of children going missing or away without authorisation is changing in the volumes indicated in the table.



Location_of_incidents_for_looked_after_children
(Excel SpreadSheet, 26.92 KB)

Students: Housing

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on affordable student accommodation of the 3 December 2018 Huffington Post article entitled Exclusive: Cost Of Accommodation At Top Universities Soars By Up To 77% During The Past Decade.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



Government does not control rents for student accommodation as higher education providers are autonomous bodies, independent from government.The student funding system makes loans for living costs available as a contribution towards a student’s living costs while attending university. Living costs support increased by 2.8% for 2017/18 and 3.2% for the current, 2018/19, academic year. We have announced a further 2.8% increase for loans for living costs for the 2019/20 academic year – to a record amount.All universities who wish to charge fees above the basic level are required to have an access and participation plan approved by the Office for Students. Through these plans, universities can fund bursaries for disadvantaged students, such as care leavers.​The Unistats website provides information about all university courses and includes links to individual websites with details of the costs for student accommodation at a higher education provider.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to his Written Statement of 4 December 2018 on Government Asset Sale Update, HCWS1137, what the carrying value was that his Department had placed on the loans sold for £1.9 billion.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



The final carrying value of the loans sold in December 2018 is subject to reconciliation and auditing and will be provided in the Department for Education’s 2018-19 annual report and accounts.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to his written ministerial statement HCWS1137 Government Asset Sale Update, published 4th December 2018, what assessment his Department has made of the total loss in future receipts in repayments from the student loans that were sold for £1.9 billion.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



​​Through the sale, the government has exchanged a stream of uncertain future cash flows spread over thirty years for a certain lump sum now. When assessing whether or not to sell the loans, the government therefore has to determine today’s value of those future cash flows to be able to compare it against the price being offered by the market. To make this assessment, the government forecasts the repayments and then takes into account: the time value of money, the effect of inflation, the riskiness of the asset, and the opportunity cost of having money tied up in that asset that could otherwise be used for purposes or policies with greater social or economic returns. This follows the guidance set out in Her Majesty’s Treasury’s (HM Treasury) Green Book: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/191488/Green_book_supplementary_guidance_asset_valuation.pdf. ​In accordance with this assessment, the government has concluded that the sale achieved value for money in accordance with HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance.

Erasmus+ Programme

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the UK's continued participation of FE college students in the Erasmus+ Programme.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) he and (b) the Minister for Skills has had with the further education sector on the UK's continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme after the UK leaves the EU.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the continued participation of further education college students in the ERASMUS programme.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



Officials and I are in regular contact with the Department for Exiting the European Union on issues relating to UK participation in the Erasmus+ programme after the UK leaves the EU. Officials also engage regularly with sector stakeholders.The government has made clear that it values international exchanges and collaboration as part of its vision for a Global Britain and I am therefore pleased that, under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, UK entities' right to participate in EU programmes during the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), including Erasmus+, will be unaffected by the UK's withdrawal from the EU for the lifetime of projects financed by the current MFF. This will, of course, include the further education sector which is a key part of the current Erasmus+ programme.As such, following ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, UK organisations and individuals taking part in the current Erasmus+ programme will be able to continue to bid for funding, participate in and lead consortia, until programme closure in 2020.The UK is open to exploring participation in the successor scheme to the current Erasmus+ Programme and we welcome the proposals for the 2021-2027 successor scheme to Erasmus+, which were published on 30 May. We are considering these carefully and will continue to participate in discussions on them while we remain in the EU.We have also made clear that the government is open to maintaining cooperation in the areas of education and culture, as noted in the Political Declaration on the Future UK-EU relationship.

Apprentices: Nurses

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people have started the Registered Nursing Apprenticeship programme to date.

Anne Milton: There have been 88,320 apprenticeship starts in health, public services and care in the 2017 to 2018 academic year in England. The data for this can be accessed at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/further-education-and-skills-statistical-first-release-sfr.We want to increase the number of nursing apprenticeships and now have a complete apprentice pathway from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice in nursing. This will support people from all backgrounds to enter a nursing career in the National Health Service (NHS).In the 2017/18 academic year, there have been 300 apprenticeship starts recorded for the standard ‘Registered Nurse’ (the degree apprenticeship approved for delivery on 9 May 2017) and 1,420 apprenticeship starts recorded for the standard ‘Nursing Associate’ (level 5 apprenticeship standard approved for delivery on 20 November 2017). There were no starts on these standards in the 2016/17 academic year.We are working closely with employers, Health Education England and ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care to make sure that the NHS is fully supported to recruit apprentices, both in nursing and in a range of other occupations. 2,000 nursing associates started training on Health Education England’s pilot project in 2017.

Special Educational Needs

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) Special Education Need units and (b) Specialist Resource Provisions there were in each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information regarding 2008 to 2016 is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The attached table shows the numbers of special educational needs (SEN) units and specialist resource provisions in state funded primary and secondary schools by region for 2017 and 2018.The department collects data on SEN from schools in England only. Education statistics for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are available from the relevant departments.National level figures for England from 2014 to 2018 are available in the national statistics publication ‘SEN in England: January 2018’ available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2018.The Children and Families Act (2014) requires local authorities to work with parents, young people and providers to keep the provision for children and young people with SEN and disabilities under review, including its sufficiency. 



199881_Schools_with_SEN_units_and_resourced_provis
(Excel SpreadSheet, 24.12 KB)

Children: Care Homes

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children’s homes have been issued with a (a) suspension  and (b) cancellation by Ofsted in each of the last five years.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which chains of children’s homes Ofsted has cancelled the registration for in 2017-2018.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many large (a) local authority and (b) other social care providers owned 10 or more children’s homes in each of the last 10 years.

Nadhim Zahawi: These are matters for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for which offence or offences each current prisoner serving a sentence of 12 months or less was imprisoned.

Rory Stewart: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018






An error has been identified in the written answer given on 17 August 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The offence(s) for which each prisoner serving a sentence of less than 12 months was imprisoned, as at 31 March 2018, can be viewed in the table. Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case, including any aggravating and mitigating factors. Whilst there is persuasive evidence that short custodial sentences of less than 12 months do not help some offenders turn their backs on crime, protecting the public will always be our top priority. Under this government, the most serious offenders are more likely to go to prison, and for longer, helping protect the public and keep communities safe.


Table for PQ 158712
(Excel SpreadSheet, 14.77 KB)




Revised Table for PQ 158712
(Excel SpreadSheet, 17.54 KB)

Rory Stewart: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



The offence(s) for which each prisoner serving a sentence of less than 12 months was imprisoned, as at 31 March 2018, can be viewed in the table. Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case, including any aggravating and mitigating factors. Whilst there is persuasive evidence that short custodial sentences of less than 12 months do not help some offenders turn their backs on crime, protecting the public will always be our top priority. Under this government, the most serious offenders are more likely to go to prison, and for longer, helping protect the public and keep communities safe.


Table for PQ 158712
(Excel SpreadSheet, 14.77 KB)




Revised Table for PQ 158712
(Excel SpreadSheet, 17.54 KB)

Social Security Benefits: North West

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of appeals to the tribunals service in (a) Salford and Eccles constituency, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) the North West relating to (i) personal independence payment, (ii) employment and support allowance, (iii) income support, (iv) jobseeker's allowance, (v) tax credits and (vi) universal credit were successful in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Lucy Frazer: Information about the volumes and outcomes of appeals - including (i) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and (ii) Employment Support Allowance (ESA) - to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) is published at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics. Latest figures (to June 2018) indicate that since PIP was introduced, 3.5 million decisions have been made, and of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned at tribunals. For ESA, 3.5m ESA (post Work Capability Assessment) decisions have been made between April 2014 and March 2018 and of these 8% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned at tribunals. HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not record data based on constituencies. SSCS appeals are listed into the hearing venue nearest to the appellant’s home address. The published data (which can be viewed at the link above) provide information about the outcomes of PIP and ESA appeals for hearing venues covering (a) Salford and Eccles, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) the North West for the period April to June 2018, the latest period for which data are available. The table below contains the requested information for (iii) Income Support (IS), (iv) Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), (v) Tax Credits and (vi) Universal Credit (UC):  Proportion1 of appeals decided in favour of the appellant for the period April to June 2018 (the latest period for which data are available) ISJSATax Credits2UCManchester383%~~~Greater Manchester458%~24%46%North West44%44%30%53% Proportion based on the number of cases found in favour of the appellant at a tribunal hearing, as a percentage of the cases heard at a tribunal hearing.Includes Working Family Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Working Tax Credit.Appeals for those living in the Salford and Eccles constituency are heard in Manchester venues.Greater Manchester includes the venues: Manchester, Stockport, Rochdale and Wigan.~ Equates to a value fewer than five.Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and are the best data that are available.These data may differ slightly from those in the published statistics as these data were run on a different date.

Reoffenders

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Serious Further Offence investigations in which the supervising body was (a) the National Probation Service and (b) a Community Rehabilitation Company there were in each of the last four years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the (a) conclusions and (b) recommendations from Serious Further Offence investigations are made available to (a) the victim and (b) families of a victim of homicide.

Rory Stewart: A Serious Further Offence (SFO) review is undertaken where an offender under statutory supervision in the community is charged with a qualifying offence – a “notification”. Not every offender charged with an SFO will eventually be convicted of an SFO. Serious further offences are rare. Fewer than 0.5% of offenders under statutory supervision are convicted of serious further offences. Nonetheless, every single serious further offence is taken extremely seriously, and in all cases a review is carried out to identify any lessons for the better management of future cases. The table below provides the number of serious further offences (SFOs) investigations (reviews) in which the supervising body was (a) the National Probation Service (NPS) and (b) a Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) completed between April 2015 and November 2018 Year2015-20162016-20172017-20182018-2019 (YTD)NPS285281358184CRCs222234269129Total507515 627 313 1. The numbers for 2016-2017 differ slightly from those published in PQ 2737. Since we produced the data for that PQ, there have been updates recorded on the database e.g. as a result of quality assurance which can result in clarification that the case did not meet the SFO criteria or revision and resubmission of reviews on a different date.2. We are unable to provide data for 2014-15 in this format as the data includes reviews completed by the former Probation Trusts. The findings of SFO reviews are made available to victims or the families of victims following conviction for the most serious offences SFO reviews completed on cases notified on or after 1 April 2018 are shared in full including conclusions and recommendations, with a) the victim and b) the families of a victim of homicide. Minor redactions may be required - for example, to protect third party data. Conclusions and recommendations from SFO reviews notified prior to 1 April 2018 are shared in a Victim Summary Report (VSR) which reflects the findings of the full review.

Child Arrangement Orders: Grandparents

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals in relation to access rights to grandchildren by grandparents; and if he will make a statement.

Lucy Frazer: The Government is keen to take steps wherever possible to reduce conflict within families when relationships come to an end. In that context, the Government’s current priority is to reform the law on the process for obtaining a divorce. I am separately considering what measures Government could take to help more grandchildren maintain contact with grandparents following parental separation and will make an announcement about the Government’s plans in due course.

Fireworks: Misuse

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of offences relating to the misuse of fireworks in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Court data held on prosecutions summarises into specific offence categories. There is not a combined group of fireworks offences, but there are some individual detailed offences that relate specifically to fireworks for which data is available. For example, ‘Possessing fireworks etc. in, or when entering, a designated sports ground’ and ‘Throwing or firing any fireworks in or into a street’. Numbers of prosecutions and convictions for these offences are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/738814/HO-Code-Tool-2017.xlsx

Administration of Justice

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that access to justice is maintained after the implementation period of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Lucy Frazer: The ability of individuals to resolve their legal problems is vital to the rule of law and the government will continue its commitment to maintain access to justice. The Political Declaration establishes the parameters of an ambitious, broad and flexible future partnership between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). This includes a commitment to explore options for a new agreement on family judicial cooperation. It also sets out the ambition for a future security partnership, which will provide for comprehensive, close, balanced and reciprocal law enforcement and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. We have also reached agreement with the EU on how existing civil and criminal judicial cooperation cases will be brought to their conclusion in the event that we are unable to reach an agreement on a satisfactory future relationship at the end of the implementation period.On civil, we have broadly agreed with the EU that if proceedings are started ahead of the end of the implementation period, they will be concluded under the existing EU rules and that subsequent judgments in those proceedings will also be enforced.On criminal, any request for judicial cooperation before the end of the Implementation Period, under the EU measures that remain in force during the IP, will proceed until it is concluded under the applicable EU rules. This applies both to requests accepted by the UK and those requests made by the UK to remaining member states.

Social Security Benefits: Stockport

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answers of 3 December 2018 to Questions 196136 and 196137 on Social Security Benefits: Stockport, and with reference to the Answers of 10 September and 19 July 2018 to Questions 172598 and 166221, if the Government will publish the corresponding data for Stockport that has been provided to the hon. Member for Easington and the hon. Member for Inverclyde.

Lucy Frazer: Information about appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), including volumes, outcomes and waiting times, is published at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics. The information requested relates to average waiting times for appeals; and volumes of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeals for Stockport over the last five years to correspond with data previously provided for Easington and Inverclyde areas. The published data, which can be viewed in the csv files at the link above, provide this information from 2015/16; data for the preceding two years is provided below.  Stockport Tribunal Venue1PIP 2.ESA.3Total Cleared4Number cleared at hearingNumber cleared without a hearingTotal ClearedNumber cleared at hearingNumber cleared without a hearing2013-2014000471139127992014-201568551365255993 The average waiting time5 for all appeals from receipt to final outcome at the Stockport venue was 18 weeks in 2013/14; in 2014/15 it was 20 weeks.1. Appeals for those people living in the Stockport area are heard in the Stockport venue.2. PIP was introduced in April 2013 and replaced Disability Living Allowance.3.  Includes ESA and ESA (Reassessment).4. Includes all cases cleared both with and without a tribunal hearing.5. Waiting time is appeal receipt to outcome.Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and are the best data that are available. Latest figures (to June 2018) indicate that since PIP was introduced, 3.5 million decisions have been made, and of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned at Tribunals. For ESA, 3.5m ESA (post Work Capability Assessment) decisions have been made between April 2014 and March 2018 and of these 8% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned at tribunals. Waiting times are calculated from receipt of the appeal to its final disposal. An appeal is not necessarily disposed of at its first hearing. The final disposal decision on the appeal may be reached after an earlier hearing had been adjourned (which may be directed by the judge for a variety of reasons, such as to seek further evidence), or after an earlier hearing date had been postponed (again, for a variety of reasons, often at the request of the appellant). An appeal may also have been decided at an earlier date by the First-tier Tribunal, only for the case to have gone on to the Upper Tribunal, to be returned once again to the First-tier for its final disposal.

County Courts: Opening Hours

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the effect on HM Courts and Tribunals Service staff will be included in the evaluation of the flexible operating hours pilots at (a) Brentford County Court, and (b) Manchester Civil Justice Centre.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which trade unions have been included on the Evaluation Advisory Group for the flexible operating hours pilots at (a) Brentford County Court, and (b) Manchester Civil Justice Centre.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many FTE staff are employed at each grade at (a) Brentford County Court, and (b) Manchester Civil Justice Centre.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of minimum staffing levels required for the flexible operating hours pilots to be undertaken at (a) Brentford County Court, and (b) Manchester Civil Justice Centre.

Lucy Frazer: As part of the Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Reform Programme, the Flexible Operating Hours (FOH) project was set up to look at options to maximise the use of our court rooms by using them at different times of the day, outside of the traditional hours of 10am – 4pm. On 16 November 2018, it was announced that HMCTS will be proceeding with two pilots in the Civil and Family Courts in Brentford County Court and Manchester Civil Justice Centre and a revised Pilots Prospectus was published. Local Implementation Teams in Brentford and Manchester will finalise the pilot designs and start dates, which are likely to be in Spring 2019. A key objective of the FOH pilots is to understand the impacts of FOH for all court users, including HMCTS staff. An Evaluation Advisory Group has been established to ensure a balanced and comprehensive assessment of pilot activity by independent assessors. Consultation with trade unions will take place under separate arrangements in recognition of the need to consider FOH in the context of wider organisational changes affecting HMCTS staff. In Manchester Civil Justice Centre, the total number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff is 205 with 29.5 FTE at Band A to D, 146 FTE at Band E and 29.5 FTE at Band F. In Brentford County Court, the total number of FTE staff is 15.5 with 1 FTE at Band C, 2 FTE at Band D, 11 FTE at Band E and 1.5 FTE at Band F. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 0.5. We are committed to ensuring that courts and tribunals have adequate staff to meet operational demands. Staffing requirements for the FOH pilots will be considered by the Local Implementation Teams.

Courts: Fines

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of (a) court fines and (b) surcharges remain uncollected; and what steps he is taking to increase the rate of collection for those penalties.

Lucy Frazer: We are not able to provide information on the proportion of the original fines and victim surcharge that remains outstanding for without incurring disproportionate cost. In order to extract this information we would need to conduct a manual search of all current financial penalty accounts within our fines database. Figures for the total amount of outstanding fines are published and can be found here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727387/HMCTS_Trust_Statement_2017-18_v16_web.pdf  This Government takes recovery and enforcement of financial impositions very seriously and remains committed to finding new ways to ensure impositions are paid and clamping down on fine defaulters is a continued priority nationwide. The courts will do everything within their powers to trace those who do not pay. Money can be deducted from an offender's earnings or from benefits if they are unemployed. Other ‘upfront’ compliance actions include, increased use of telephone and text message chasing and use of tracing tools. Warrants can be issued instructing approved enforcement agents to seize and sell goods belonging to the offender. Ultimately an offender can be imprisoned for non-payment of their fine. Targeted initiatives to improve enforcement of financial penalties include the recent historic debt project. This project which commenced in September 2016 resulted in the re-working of accounts which had previously been administratively cancelled. As of November 2018, £34.3 million has been collected as a result of this project. Lessons learnt from the Project have been incorporated into business as usual processes within NCES.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Consultants

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service is expecting to spend from the public purse on that service's change management consultancy contracts.

Lucy Frazer: The HMCTS change management consultancy contract is with pwc, who provide a delivery partner service to support our reform programme. Overall, we are scheduled to spend up to £30 million with them on the contract which was signed in July 2017, and runs for two years, with an option for a one-year extension. It should be noted that this is a strategic partnership contract that replaced several individual contracts and as such gives us access to specialist skills across the change spectrum. The breakdown of the spend across the financial years can be shown in the table below. 17/18 FY Spend£10,418,186.0818/19 FY Forecast spend£14,808,420.77Remaining Contract Cover£4,773,393.15Total£30,000,000.00

Coroners

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of coroners’ inquests that delivered a verdict of suicide in the cases of the deaths of former service men and women in 2017.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice collates statistics on inquest conclusions, including suicide, which are published annually. However, these are not currently sub-categorised in any way, other than by gender. The Government’s approach to veteran suicides is set out in its response to the current e-petition which is available at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/225899.

Prisons: Contracts

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196269, what estimate he has made of the cost of producing an in-house bid for the operation of new-build prisons.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice has recently launched a competition to establish a framework of prison operators, from which the operators of the new prisons at Wellingborough and Glen Parva will be selected. Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service will not be bidding in the competition. We have therefore not undertaken a detailed estimate of the cost of producing an in-house bid for the operation of new-build prisons. There will instead be a ‘public sector benchmark’, against which potential operators’ bids can be assessed. Where bids do not meet sufficient quality or value for money thresholds the public sector will act as the provider. As stated in my Written Ministerial Statement on 29th November, this competition is not about the difference between the public and private sector. It is about driving quality and innovation across the system and we expect bidders to provide high quality, value for money bids that deliver effective regimes to meet the specific needs of prisoners and help them turn their lives around to prevent reoffending. Through this approach we are, as we must, focusing our resources on getting the basics right by addressing the significant challenges we face in improving safety and decency in our prisons.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the funding allocated to his Department in Budget 2018 will be used to tackle violence in prisons.

Rory Stewart: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



We have committed to spending £30m to make improvements to the safety and decency of our prison estate and address the drivers of violence in prisons. We will do this through enhancing security and tackling drugs and continue our programme of decency upgrades. This latest investment is on top of the £40m announced over the summer, meaning a total of £70m is already being directed to tackling drugs and violence, and improving the basic conditions of our prisons. But the Foundation of managing violence in prisons is of course our front line operational staff, whose work and service constitutes approximately £812m of our budget.* * Front line operational staff defined as public sector Band 3 prison officers, Band 4 specialist officers and Band 5 Custodial Managers, across England and Wales, includes adults and youth prisons.

Prisons: Standards

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the announcement entitled, Minister announces 10 Prisons Project to develop new model of excellence, what criteria his Department plans to use to assess the effect on prisons of that project.

Rory Stewart: The key criteria used to judge the effect on prisons will be a reversal in the rates of violence in the 10 prisons that are part of the project, which we will supplement with insight from the Governors and their teams. Learning from the project will then contribute to models of excellence for the rest of the estate.

Children: Human Rights

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government plans to respond to the official questionnaire of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timeframe is for the Government to respond to the questionnaire issued by UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty.

Edward Argar: On 15 October 2018, my officials submitted a contribution to the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty. The final version of the UK contribution was shared with officials in the Equality and Human Rights Commission and in the UK National Preventive Mechanism.

Family Courts: Domestic Violence

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has plans to include in proposals for a Domestic Abuse Bill, provisions to ban the cross-examination of victims by perpetrators of domestic abuse in the family courts; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: The Government recognises the importance of the family cross-examination provisions and is committed to introducing them as soon as parliamentary time allows. We continue to consider a range of possible legislative options, including the Domestic Abuse Bill.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for appeals for social security and child support cases.

Lucy Frazer: It is important that appeals are heard as quickly as possible. The Ministry of Justice recognises that there are delays in the system and it is in the process of recruiting more judicial office holders in order to increase capacity and help to reduce waiting times for appellants. In the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) jurisdiction, 225 new medical members have already been appointed and 119 disability-qualified members have recently been recruited. The SSCS jurisdiction will also benefit from the fact that 250 fee-paid judges and 100 salaried judges are being recruited across tribunals more widely. In addition, we have recently launched a new digital service to enable speedier processing of appeals and provide a better service for all parties to the proceedings. Information on the new digital service can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-online-service-launched-for-pip-appeals

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time was for a Social Security and Child Support case to be resolved in each of the last three years.

Lucy Frazer: Information about the average waiting time of appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) is published at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

Prison Officers: Private Sector

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers working in each prison were employed by the private sector in each of the last eight years.

Rory Stewart: HM Prison and Probation workforce statistics (which contains staffing figures in public sector prisons but not in privately managed prisons) are published quarterly. The latest publication can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-september-2018 I have attached tables showing the number of funded posts at each privately managed prison and the number of Prison Officers present in Public Sector Prisons. It should be noted that as with all HR databases, extracts are taken at a fixed point in time to ensure consistency of reporting. However, the database itself is dynamic and where updates to the database are made late, subsequent to the taking of the extract, these updates will not be reflected in figures produced by the extract. For this reason, HR data are unlikely to be precisely accurate. Prison officer numbers are at their highest in five years, which is vital to ensuring prisons are safe, secure and decent. We now have over 4,300 additional staff in post compared to October 2016. The recruitment drive will continue until we reach required levels across the prison estate, ensuring prisons can fulfil their purpose - protecting the public, reducing reoffending and crucially, rehabilitating offenders.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 28.63 KB)

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the different categories of assaults that occur in prisons.

Rory Stewart: We publish extensive data about assaults. The most recent can be seen in Assaults in prison custody 2000 to 2017, at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2018.That spreadsheet includes breakdowns by seriousness, assailant/victim type, weapons used and injuries sustained, as well as various demographic and offence and sentence-related factors. It also provides figures for each prison. In order to improve safety, we have recruited 4,300 new prison officers over the last two years, with 1,400 more due to begin training soon. We are investing an extra £70 million to improve safety, security and decency, and we are equipping officers with PAVA incapacitant spray to help prevent serious harm to staff and prisoners when dealing with violent incidents. We are also tackling the drugs that we know are fuelling much of the violence in custody. This includes spending on new x-ray scanners, drug-detection dogs, phone-blocking technology and dedicated search teams. In addition, the Government supported the recent Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, which increases sentences for those who attack emergency workers, including prison officers.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2018 to Question 186964 on Prisons: Crimes of Violence and Self-harm, how many incidents of violence per 100 prisoners there were in each prison in each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart: Figures for the rates of all violent incidents can be obtained by adding the figures given in the Answer to Question 186964 for rates of assaults on staff to those for rates of assaults on prisoners. In a limited number of cases an incident will have involved assault on both a member of staff and a prisoner, so those totals may slightly exceed the totals that would be produced by using the published numbers of assaults for the years in question. In order to improve safety, we have recruited 4,300 new prison officers over the last two years, with 1,400 more due to begin training soon. We are investing an extra £70 million to improve safety, security and decency, and we are equipping officers with PAVA incapacitant spray to help prevent serious harm to staff and prisoners when dealing with violent incidents. We are also tackling the drugs that we know are fuelling much of the violence in custody. This includes spending on new x-ray scanners, drug-detection dogs, phone-blocking technology and dedicated search teams. In addition, the Government supported the recent Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, which increases sentences for those who attack emergency workers, including prison officers.

Prisons: Private Sector

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2018 to Question 188131 on Prisons: Private Sector, what criteria his Department uses to decide which prison accommodation is classed as unsuitable.

Rory Stewart: As set out in my answer to PQ 188131, the Government is committed to building up to 10,000 modern, safe and decent prison places to replace old, expensive and unsuitable accommodation so that Governors can achieve better educational, training and rehabilitative outcomes. There are a variety of factors that inform decisions to classify prison accommodation as being unsuitable. These include physical condition, age, cost of maintenance and/or operation, strategic fit with demand and needs of the prisoner population, rehabilitative suitability, access to services and the number of hours a prisoner would spend in their cell. We continue to focus on safety and decency in the prison estate. Last July, the Justice Secretary announced an investment of £30 million in prisons to enhance safety, security and decency across the estate. This includes a £16m investment in improving the fabric of prisons, targeting those with the most pressing maintenance issues so that we can start bringing them back up to acceptable standards. As announced in the 2018 Budget, an additional £30 million will be spent on prisons this financial year on top of the £30 million announced in July. This will go towards further improvements to safety, security and decency on top of those already announced.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the public consultation on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Jake Berry: As the Prime Minister said during Prime Minister’s Questions, our intention is to launch a public consultation on the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which will give all interested parties the opportunity to contribute their views to government. We will publish the consultation shortly.

Local Government Finance

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the Written Statement of 29 November 2018, Official Report HCWS1126 on Grenfell update, how much money has been allocated to local authorities for remediation; what discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on the issue; and what legal powers local authorities have to recover costs.

Kit Malthouse: My Department has so far allocated £248 million to remediate 135 high-rise (over 18 metres) social sector residential buildings with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems owned by housing associations and local authorities. We have committed to meeting these costs fully and we will still accept applications from social sector building owners who require funding.The Local Government Association is a member of the ministerially-chaired taskforce which oversees the remediation of private sector buildings with unsafe ACM cladding systems, which includes establishing a joint inspection team to support local authorities in ensuring and, where necessary, enforcing remediation of private sector high-rise residential buildings with unsafe ACM cladding systems.The Housing Act 2004 allows local authorities to take enforcement action on buildings which have not yet completed remediation and to recover reasonably incurred expenses, with interest. If local authorities need to take emergency remedial action but are unable to fund this work up front, we will consider requests for funding which would be repaid once the local authorities recover the costs from the building owner.

Travellers:  Caravan Sites

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has taken steps to implement the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s recommendation that local authorities in England should have a duty to provide sufficient safe and adequate sites for Gypsies and Travellers based on the pre-2015 Planning policy for Traveller sites definitions of Gypsy and of Traveller.

Kit Malthouse: Under section 8 of the Housing Act 1985, there is a statutory requirement on local authorities to consider the needs of people residing or resorting to their district with respect to the provision of caravan sites. The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS) sets out the Government’s planning policy for traveller sites and should be read in conjunction with the revised National Planning Policy Framework. The PPTS is clear that local planning authorities should make their own assessment of need for the purposes of planning. They should identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide 5 years’ worth of sites against their locally set targets. Travellers who do not fall within the definition in Annex 1 of the PPTS should have their housing needs assessed under the National Planning Policy Framework.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the article entitled, Why a new memorial to the Holocaust is essential, published in the Evening Standard on 3 September 2018, whether the images used in that article were created by a government agency; and for what reason the Buxton memorial was not included.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The image used in the article ‘Why a new memorial to the Holocaust is essential’, published in the Evening Standard on 3 September 2018 and still available online here: https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/why-a-new-memorial-to-the-holocaust-is-essential-a3926426.html. It was created during the design competition for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre by the winning design team, Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and Gustafson Porter + Bowman. The image shows one view of their initial design concept and clearly includes the Buxton memorial.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the news story entitled, Public consultation marks the next stage in development of UK Holocaust memorial and learning centre, published on gov.uk on 4 September 2018, what information the Government holds on which other cities considered the Adjaye Associates design for the proposed National Holocaust memorial and learning centre.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The design submitted by Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and Gustafson, Porter + Bowman was prepared specifically in response to the competition for a Memorial and Learning Centre at Victoria Tower Gardens.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document entitled, National memorial and learning centre search for a central London site, published by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation in September 2015, how the proposal for a site at (a) Victoria Tower Gardens, (b) the Imperial War Museum and (c) Harmsworth Park met the criteria to (i) draw in and to inspire the largest  possible number of visitors, (ii) provide 5-10,000 square metres of built space, (iii) allocate maximum funds to educational purposes, (iv) provide cost effectiveness, (v) allow buses, coaches, pedestrians and cyclists to be able to reach the site safely with full disability access, (vi) allow for a physical campus to engage and inspire a vast number of visitors, (vii) provide facilities for lectures and seminars and to run educational courses and workshops, (viii) allow for the provision of space for Holocaust organisations to locate their offices so as to fulfil the stated responsibility to bring together a network of the UK's existing Holocaust education in the UK, (ix) provide rooms for at least 500 people and (x) provide infrastructure to fulfil all security considerations.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document entitled, National memorial and learning centre search for a central London site, published by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation in September 2015, which London parks considered by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation were sufficiently central to meet the visions set out by the Holocaust Commission.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document entitled, National memorial and learning centre search for a central London site, published by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation in September 2015, which potential locations for the national memorial and learning centre were noted by the Holocaust Commission; and whether Victoria Tower Gardens was on that list.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The document, National Memorial and Learning Centre: Search for a Central London Site, was published by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation as part of extensive efforts to identify a suitable location for the Memorial and Learning Centre, which also included a thorough search of Central London by property experts CBRE. A map included in the published document indicates the area of Central London which was the focus of the site search. More than 50 locations were considered; detailed information supporting the assessment of each site is commercially confidential.The Foundation identified Victoria Tower Gardens as the most fitting site in terms of its historical, emotional and political significance and its ability to offer the greatest potential impact and visibility for the project.The Government accepted the Foundation’s advice and announced in January 2016 that Victoria Tower Gardens was the chosen location. An international design competition was launched in September 2016, seeking proposals for a Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the news story entitled, Public consultation marks the next stage in development of UK Holocaust memorial and learning centre, published on gov.uk on 4 September 2018, where in Victoria Tower Gardens that centre was proposed to be located; and how the proposed of location of the centre was made clear within the consultation document.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: On 4 September 2018 a public exhibition was opened at Church House in Westminster, setting out proposals for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. The exhibition provided extensive information, including maps, to show the proposed design for the Memorial and Learning Centre and its location within Victoria Tower Gardens.Over 3000 invitations to the exhibition were sent to local residents and businesses. The display boards were published on the Government’s website and made available to the national press.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the news story entitled, Public consultation marks the next stage in development of UK Holocaust memorial and learning centre, published on gov.uk on 4 September 2018, what comparative assessment his department has made of the number of expected visitor numbers at the new centre and the average number of visitors to the Holocaust Galleries.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We expect around 500,000 visitors annually to the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. The design will allow up to 1 million visitors annually to be accommodated. This will not lead to unacceptable queuing in the Gardens.Visitors will be encouraged to explore other resources, including the Imperial War Museum London’s new Holocaust Galleries which are due to open in 2021. The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation has welcomed the Imperial War Museum’s support and is firmly committed to working closely with them.

Social Rented Housing: Mental Illness

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the number of people with mental health problems that are on social housing waiting lists.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: I refer my hon Friend to the answer I gave on 17 October 2018 to question UIN 177200.

Ministry of Defence

NATO

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contribution the Government is (a) making and (b) has plans to make to NATO's (i) new Command in Norfolk, (ii) new Command in Ulm, (iii) Counter Hybrid Support Teams, (iv) Cyber Operations Centre, (v) Hub for the South in Naples and (vi) capacity building programmes in (A) Iraq, (B) Jordan and (C) Tunisia.

Mark Lancaster: The UK remains committed to NATO and to Euro-Atlantic security. We were a leading proponent of the decision made at the Warsaw Summit in 2016 to recognise cyberspace as a domain of operations and will continue to support its full implementation, and play an active role in supporting the development of NATO's Cyber Operations centre. The UK is also engaged with NATO's efforts to project stability across the Middle East and North Africa region through our southern partnerships and the Defence and Related Security Capacity Building initiative. Discussions within NATO regarding the exact nature of individual Allies' contributions to its new Commands in Norfolk and Ulm, and to the Counter Hybrid Support Teams, are still ongoing. Once this information becomes available, I will write to my right hon. Friend with further detail.

Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many army recruits have enlisted from each parliamentary constituency since 2013; and how many of those recruits from each constituency were aged under 18.

Mark Lancaster: The information requested is set out in the attached table. Figures represent Regular and FR20 Reserve recruits (officers and other ranks) by parliamentary constituency, including those aged under 18 at the time of recruitment, between Apr 13 and Apr 18. Under 18 figures apply to Regular enlistments only, as the minimum age a potential reservist can initiate the recruitment process is 17 years and 9 months. Data is based on their recorded contact address.



Regular and Reserves by Parliamentary Constituency
(Word Document, 53.75 KB)

Army Foundation College: Qualifications

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what Ofqual-accredited qualifications are offered at the Army Foundation College; and how many recruits achieved each type of qualification in the most recent full year for which figures are available.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Army Foundation College delivers functional skills qualifications in Maths, English and Information Communication Technology (ICT) at Level 1 and Level 2, through either City & Guilds or EDEXCEL. Additionally, dependent upon educational attainment on arrival at the Army Foundation College, some junior soldiers will complete an accredited Pearson BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Public Services. The educational attainment of junior soldiers who graduated in 2018 are shown in the table below. This will include qualifications gained by junior soldiers before attendance at Army Foundation College. YearTotalEnglishMathsICTBTECGraduatesL1L2L1L2L1L2L320181,1001,0909401,030790940760200Source: Army Foundation College (Harrogate) Notes:These figures are single service estimates and are not official statistics produced by Defence Statistics. Figures have been rounded to 10 to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

University Royal Naval Units: Aberdeen

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason records of the membership of the University Royal Naval Unit in Aberdeen between 2008 and 2012 were not retained.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: University Royal Naval Units hold personnel files in the unit for two years after an Officer Cadet departs. Files are subsequently archived from the two to seven year period, after which they are destroyed. The Ministry of Defence has established that the University of Aberdeen publishes minutes of the Military Education Committee; while this is non-Departmental information, the minutes do contain the following membership statistics for the Aberdeen URNU: YearMembershipDecember 200851December 200951December 201048November 201153December 201228 The full minutes are available at the following link: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffnet/governance/military-education-committee-648.php

Defence Fire and Rescue Service: Capita

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the delay in Capita taking up the contract for the Defence Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I am withholding information in relation to the cost to the public purse as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests, particularly considering the ongoing legal challenge in respect of the Defence Fire and Rescue Project contract.

Defence Equipment: Cost Effectiveness

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Financial Summary of the Defence Equipment Plan 2018, which capabilities that are uneconomic to maintain is his Department considering to remove from service earlier than planned.

Stuart Andrew: We always keep our military capabilities under constant review to ensure they continue to deliver the required military effect and value for money. Since the financial summary of the Equipment Plan was published, the Chancellor has pledged an extra £1 billion to the Ministry of Defence over the next two years which, on top of the £800 million increase this spring, represents a substantial financial boost and reaffirms our commitment to protecting national security.

Defence in UK Prosperity Review

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to the Dunne review on defence prosperity.

Stuart Andrew: We are considering the review and its recommendations and will respond in due course.

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2014 to Question 188387, on Nuclear Reactors, how many nuclear-qualified and experienced personnel have been required by his Department in each of the last three years; and how many such posts were vacant at each location on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Stuart Andrew: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 29 November 2018, to Question 194787.



194787 - Ministry of Defence: Recruitment
(Word Document, 26.6 KB)

Army: Suicide

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to tackle the matter of soldiers taking their own life (a) during and (b) after active service.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Every study conducted by the Ministry of Defence has found that the risk of suicide amongst the Armed Forces community, including veterans of the 1982 Falkland and 1990-91 Gulf conflicts, is lower than amongst the general population.A considerable amount of work has already been undertaken to improve the mental health of Service personnel and to prevent suicide and suicide risk. This includes tackling stigma through education and providing easily accessible, rapid and flexible access to mental health support and healthcare services. Armed Forces personnel undergo "through life" psychological resilience training which enables them to recognise and manage stress in themselves and in their colleagues and actively encourages them to seek help at an early stage.However, we continue to look at what more can done. This includes a focused review by the Defence Safety Authority of suicide in Service personnel to identify additional measures for preventing suicide. The review was published on 9 November 2018 by the Defence Safety Authority and work to take forward the recommendations has commenced.We have less influence on individuals' behaviour once they are discharged from the Armed Forces, as their mental healthcare becomes the responsibility of the National Health Service in the UK. There are many factors that can result in suicide such as relationship breakdown, debt and employment concerns, not only service in the Armed Forces.However, we are not complacent. Any suicide is one too many and a tragedy for the individual, their family, friends and colleagues.

Ministry of Defence: Empty Property

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number and (b) value of empty homes in the Ministry of Defence estate in each parliamentary constituency.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The information is not held by the Department in the format requested.

Ministry of Defence: Equality

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2018 to Question 197453 on Ministry of Defence: Equality, what assessment he has made of whether the means for collecting statistics on religious representation among Ministry of Defence civilian staff, as published in the Civilian Personnel Biannual Diversity Dashboard is compatible with his Department's commitments under the Equality Act 2010.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is compliant with its obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Detailed data on religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation is collected for MOD civilian staff and is used to inform policy decisions. However, statistics published by Defence are required to strike a balance between transparency and usability. I am satisfied that the MOD’s statistical outputs are clear and concise and inform users of the overall patterns in the data. The inclusion of small sub-categories of non-Christian staff and Christian denominations would not add any additional benefit to the analysis provided in the Civilian Personnel Biannual Diversity Dashboard (CPBDD), and would make the document far longer and more difficult to understand as the small sub-sets would likely be represented by a series of dashes and tildes, representing zeroes and numbers less than five. In addition, the same granular approach would necessarily have to be taken with the BAME, and sexual orientation categories. The CPBDD has been designated an Official Statistic by the United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA) in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, meaning that Defence is required to publish the logic and overall methodology which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-civilian-personnel-quarterly-report-background-quality-report. The CPBDD complies with the UKSA’s Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The process of determining compliance with the Code and designation as an Official Statistic is known as assessment. Details of this assessment can be found at the following link: https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/statistics-on-uk-defence-personnel.

EU Defence Policy

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  whether the UK will continue to participate in the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence after the UK leaves the EU.

Mark Lancaster: The UK supports the EU's Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) and has participated in the pilot stage. The CARD currently does not directly provide for Third Country involvement. However, the recent Political Declaration on the Future Relationship between the UK and the EU sets out our shared vision of close and lasting cooperation on external action, including cooperation on defence capabilities development.

AWE

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to restart Project Pegasus.

Stuart Andrew: No decision has been made on the restart of Project Pegasus, which remains under review.

Northern Ireland Security Guard Service: Pay

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of changes to Northern Ireland Security Guard Service pay structures on the pay grading of employees.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There have been no changes to the Northern Ireland (NI) Security Guard Service pay structure. The NI Guard Service continue to be paid in accordance with the same pay policies and processes as wider Ministry of Defence Main employees.

Defence Equipment and Support: Surveys

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the results of the Defence Equipment and Support People Survey 2018.

Stuart Andrew: The results of the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) People Survey 2018 were provided to DE&S staff on 19 November 2018.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of creating a work allowance for second earners as part of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: We have not made an assessment. Universal Credit targets resources towards reducing the number of workless households, by increasing the incentive for at least one member of the household to enter work. Compared to children from working families, children who grow up in workless families are almost twice as likely to not reach the expected attainment level at all stages of their education, and are also more likely to be workless themselves in adult life. Helping at least one person into work could help break the cycle of worklessness in a family. As announced at Autumn Budget 2018, on 29 October 2018, work allowances will be increased by £1000 a year from April 2019. This increase for working parents and people with disabilities, means 2.4 million households will be up to £630 better off per year, in a package worth £1.7bn by 2023/24.

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of working people in receipt of top-up benefits are resident in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) Bexley Borough, and (c) London.

Alok Sharma: The numbers of in work families receiving tax credits are in table 1.1 of the Child and Working Tax Credits statistics: finalised annual awards - 2016 to 2017 published by HMRC which can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720570/Main_publication_-_final_tables.xlsx Geographical breakdowns including constituency level figures are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720739/Main_geographical_-_final_tables.xlsx Universal Credit and Housing Benefit statistics for Great Britain are regularly published and the latest statistics for October 2018 and August 2018 respectively can be accessed at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html The information available for the number of employed individuals that are in receipt of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance across geographical areas can be found in the table in the document attached.



Table-working people in receipt of IS, JSA or ESA
(Word Document, 16.54 KB)

Employment and Support Allowance: Salford and Eccles

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people undergoing a work capability assessment for employment and support allowance in Salford and Eccles constituency were found to be fit for work in each year since 2015.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people undergoing a work capability assessment for employment and support allowance were found to be fit for work in each constituency in each year since 2015.

Sarah Newton: The information on the number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants who have a Work Capability Assessment and the related outcomes by parliamentary constituency is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtmlGuidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Personal Independence Payment: Salford and Eccles

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people undergoing a work capability assessment for personal independence payment in Salford and Eccles constituency were found to be fit for work in each year since 2015.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people undergoing a work capability assessment for personal independence payment were found to be fit for work in each constituency in each year since 2015.

Sarah Newton: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is available to claimants with a long-term health condition or disability and can be paid regardless of whether a claimant is in or out of work. The work capability assessment is a feature of assessing entitlement to Employment Support Allowance and Universal Credit and is not part of the PIP assessment process

Universal Credit: North East

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment the Government has made of the effect on low-income families of the roll-out of universal credit in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East.

Alok Sharma: When fully rolled out, Universal Credit will support households with around £62 billion a year across the whole of Great Britain. In addition, Universal Credit covers up to 85% of childcare costs, up from 70% in the old system. The Department has made no assessment specifically in Jarrow, South Tyneside or the North East specifically. However, we continue to evaluate progress as we roll out Universal Credit nationally in a careful and co-ordinated way, reviewing against key measures, to ensure safe and secure delivery. Work is the best route out of poverty, and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives to move into and progress in work.

Universal Credit

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of universal credit are in receipt of the additional amount payable for limited capability for work and work-related activity.

Alok Sharma: The Department publishes statistics on the total number of households in receipt of limited capability work entitlement – either the limited capability for work element or the limited capability for work and work related activity element. This information is available via Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many EU nationals have claimed each type of benefit in each year since 2000.

Alok Sharma: The nationality and immigration status of claimants is not currently recorded on benefit payment systems. However, the Department has published statistics relating to access to income-related benefits for EEA and non-EEA migrants in the ad hoc publication “Analysis of migrants’ access to income-related benefits”, published last year and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/analysis-of-migrants-access-to-income-related-benefits The Department has also published statistics on working age benefit recipients by nationality at point of National Insurance Number (NINO) registration. This information is included in the “Statistical Bulletin on Nationality at point of National Insurance Number registration of DWP working age benefit recipients: data to November 2017”, available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/nationality-at-point-of-national-insurance-number-registration-of-dwp-working-age-benefit-recipients-data-to-november-2017

Sign Language

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's response to the consultation entitled, Market review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, published in July 2017, what steps her Department has taken to fill the evidence gaps identified by respondents.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's response to the consultation entitled, Market review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, published in July 2017,  what steps her Department has taken to improve the commissioning of British Sign Language interpretation by the public sector.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's response to the consultation entitled, Market review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, published in July 2017, what steps her Department has taken to increase the number of fully qualified and registered British Sign Language interpreters.

Sarah Newton: Holding answer received on 10 December 2018



The ‘Market review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss’ was a review of the present state of the market for support that facilitates communication for people who are deaf, deaf-blind or have hearing loss and those that need to engage with them. DWP worked with a wide range of stakeholders to develop the review’s parameters and criteria. These partners included other government departments; organisations that work for and with people who are deaf, Deafblind or have a hearing loss; and individuals from the communication and language professions. However, as was stated in the Report, it was not within the scope of the review to make policy recommendations based on the evidence received. The review aimed to look at provision in the UK as a whole, covering all forms of language and communication support. Interested organisations and individuals were publically invited to make a submission to the review. As was explained in the report, DWP did not undertake field research during the course of this work and the accuracy of information submitted during the review has therefore not been further assured by the department. This report published in July 2017 was a summary of the responses received. The report highlights current available evidence relating to the areas under review, including relevant published statistical data, and summarises common themes that were evident in the wide range of submissions that were received.The review was designed to be a useful information resource, which would allow commissioners across both the public and private sector to make more informed decisions. The review is also a resource for policymakers. We have not assessed its impact across the public sector, but we can say that findings from the review informed DWP’s decision to increase the Access to Work Cap from £43,100 p.a. to £57,200 p.a. with effect from April 2018. Access to Work is also increasingly supporting the use of video relay services to complement support from face-to-face BSL Interpreters and allow for greater flexibility. Recruitment levels among British Sign Language interpreters are influenced by a range of market factors, including demand for their services in social and personal situations, which DWP does not directly influence. However, DWP works closely and on an ongoing basis with people who are deaf of or have hearing loss, as well as relevant stakeholder groups, to ensure their needs are understood and that initiatives like Access to Work help to meet those needs.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the savings to the Exchequer as a result of reducing housing benefit entitlement for those deemed to be under-occupying social housing, in each financial year since 2012/13.

Justin Tomlinson: The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy has saved over £1.7bn since its introduction in April 2013. A breakdown by financial year is provided in the table below:  Total Estimated Housing Benefit RSRS Deductions, 2013/14 to 2017/18 (£m pa) 2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18385365355335320  Deductions figures do not take into account any additional savings due to behavioural change before/after the policy has been introduced, for example moving to a smaller property to avoid a deduction. Notes Figures do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction, as these data are not currently available. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has been looking at the savings realised from the RSRS policy and may publish something in future.

Universal Credit: South Glamorgan

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Cardiff and (b) Vale of Glamorgan have made successful claims for underpayments of universal credit since the beginning of the roll-out; and what the average value is of each such claim.

Alok Sharma: DWP only holds this data at a national level for estimated underpayments, which can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/762141/fraud-and-error-stats-release-2017-2018-final-estimates.pdf

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received a benefit sanction in December 2017.

Alok Sharma: The available information on the number of individuals sanctioned by benefit (which can also be broken down by geographic area such as constituency or local authority) is published and can be accessed at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Universal Credit

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her policy is on the provision of Departmental (a) guidance and (b) information to people that are subject to universal credit migration.

Alok Sharma: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 197657 published on 10th December.

Christmas Bonus

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the trend in the number of benefit recipients receiving the Christmas bonus in each year since 2010; and what estimate her Department has made of the number of benefit recipients eligible to receive the Christmas bonus in the next three years.

Guy Opperman: The number of benefit recipients receiving the Christmas bonus in previous years and forecasts for future years can be found in table 1c of the “Outturn and forecast: Autumn Budget 2018” publication. This information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2018

Universal Credit

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that universal credit claimants without internet access  in (a) Brent Central and (b) England are supported in submitting their claims.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people who (a) cannot access the internet and (b) are not allowed to access the internet can claim universal credit.

Alok Sharma: Most people claiming Universal Credit will be able to access and navigate the internet, to make and maintain their Universal Credit account. Our published Universal Credit Claimant Survey found that 98 per cent of claimants did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. However, we recognise that some people will need help. For those requiring help, assistance is available through Universal Support. On 1 October 2018 we announced the Department’s new partnership with Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, who will fully deliver Universal Support from April 2019. This partnership will ensure we are offering a consistent approach nationally for our most vulnerable customers. Assisted Digital Support, which is a component of Universal Support, provides help, support and skills claimants need to make and maintain their digital account online. Further support is offered via training courses which claimants are referred to by their work coaches. Additionally, all jobcentres across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. For those few that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. The Universal Credit Service Centre will establish the best means of support available, and in exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.

Universal Credit

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on the level of demand for councils’ Local Welfare Provision schemes by people experiencing financial difficulties.

Alok Sharma: Local Welfare Provision Schemes are local schemes to help claimants in urgent need following an emergency or unforeseen event and have no other source of help.These schemes are administered and determined by local authorities in England, while in Scotland and Wales this is a devolved matter. Therefore, we have not assessed the demand for Local Welfare provision as a result of the introduction of Universal Credit. Following Autumn Budget 2017, the Department has introduced a range of measures to support claimants and ensure no one has to experience hardship at the point of claim. These include: making advances of up to 100% of the indicative award available (from the start of a claim) and increasing the repayment period to 12 months, removing the 7 waiting days; providing an additional payment of 2 weeks of Housing Benefit to support claimants when they transition to Universal Credit; and changing how claimants in temporary accommodation receive support for their housing costs. Measures introduced at Autumn Budget 2018 will provide further assistance for claimants over the next few years. These include reducing, from October 2019, the maximum rate at which deductions can be made from a Universal Credit award from 40% to 30% of the standard allowance, with the period over which these recoveries are made extended from 12 to 16 months in October 2021. Payment of Income Support and the income related elements of Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance will continue for two weeks after a claim for Universal Credit has been made, effective from July 2020, benefitting 1.1 million households. Additionally, from April 2019, there will be a £1000 increase in work allowances from April 2019, which will provide a £630 boost for households with children, and for people with disabilities.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) efficiency and (b) effectiveness of her Department’s call centres.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department continuously monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of our telephony centres. We monitor a range of performance areas on a weekly, daily and real-time basis, as well as seeking customers’ feedback of the service and use this for continuous improvement. We also conduct trials and tests to ensure we understand the most optimal model of service delivery, learning iteratively and applying that learning to all parts of our service, including Pensions, Child Maintenance, Disability Services and Universal Credit.

Universal Credit: Housing

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will remove the non-dependent deduction from universal credit housing costs for people aged over 21 who are students.

Justin Tomlinson: A student aged 21, whose circumstances require that a housing costs contribution is applied and is not in an exemption category, will likely be receiving a student loan or grant for daily maintenance and so has funds to make a contribution toward their accommodation costs. It is right that the student, aged 21 or over makes a contribution toward these costs.

Universal Credit: Mental Illness

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure universal credit claimants who suffer from mental health issues are adequately supported during the managed migration process.

Sarah Newton: The Department is committed to delivering managed migration in a way that supports all claimants, including those with mental health issues, as they transition onto Universal Credit. Managed migration will begin in 2019 with a lengthy and robust period of at least a year to learn and adapt and ensure our processes are working well before we begin to migrate at scale. We are working closely with a large and diverse number of stakeholders, including those who focus on mental health issues and are seeking their input on the design of the managed migration process to ensure that vulnerable claimants are fully supported. The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration) Regulations 2018, which were laid before Parliament on 5 November 2018, provide the flexibility necessary to support this collaborative design process. These regulations are essential to ensuring that all claimants, including those with mental health issues, migrate onto Universal Credit smoothly.

Personal Independence Payment

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on disabled claimants of personal independence payment (PIP) of the closure of the Atos PIP customer service email.

Sarah Newton: A general email enquiry address is not currently available but work is underway to introduce a new online contact route as soon as possible in 2019. Where claimants require contact via email as a reasonable adjustment to make a claim, Independent Assessment Services continue to make arrangements to do so. There are a range of contact routes currently available to claimants, including a free phone enquiry line, written enquiries by post or a range of alternative formats including braille, large print, text phone & sign video to assist claimants within the claim process.

Personal Independence Payment

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that disabled people have access to a customer service email address for personal independence payment assessments.

Sarah Newton: A general email enquiry address is not currently available but work is underway to introduce a new online customer service route as soon as possible in 2019. Where claimants require contact via email as a reasonable adjustment to make a claim, Independent Assessment Services continue to make arrangements to do so.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Veterinary Services

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list the veterinary agreements which have been concluded between the UK and international trade partners in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: International veterinary agreements that cover trade arrangements fall within the competence of the EU. The EU has not concluded any new veterinary trade agreements over the last five years.   As the EU holds competence for trade, the UK would not have concluded any independent trade deals in line with its status as a Member State.   Additionally, the UK currently has around 1,600 Export Health Certificates (EHCs) to support exports to some 154 countries outside the EU. These are templates accepted by the importing country to provide technical assurances on public and animal health. They cover certain live animals and products of animal origin, such as food. They differ from the more formal, wide-ranging veterinary agreements.

Clinical Waste

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will estimate how much (a) anatomical and (b) cytotoxic waste the UK (i) produced in (A) 2017 and (B) 2018 and (ii) will produce in (A) 2025 and (B) 2030.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The table below shows the information reported to the Environment Agency by waste management operators through its waste returns system. Figures shown are for the amount of waste incinerated for each of the different types. These data are for England only - waste management is a devolved matter and the Devolved Administrations should be contacted for figures in those nations. The Environment Agency is not in a position to estimate arisings of the specified wastes in 2025 and 2030.   Waste type20172018 year to dateNon-infectious anatomical160 tonnes148 tonnesCytotoxic and cytostatic1730 tonnes1397 tonnes

Clinical Waste

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incinerators of anatomical and cytotoxic waste operate in the UK; what the volume of capacity of each incinerator is; and where each incinerator is located.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: These data are for England only - waste management is a devolved matter and the Devolved Administrations should be contacted for figures in those nations.The table below gives a list of all of the incinerators in England that are permitted to dispose of anatomical and cytotoxic waste, their maximum permitted annual throughputs and location.The actual capacity of each incinerator will vary from year to year according to the mixture of waste types it receives for disposal and the number of shutdowns that are needed for maintenance and repairs. Permit numberOperatorSiteSite AddressMaximum permitted throughput (tonnes/year)WP3935SMCambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation TrustAddenbrooke's Hospital IncineratorAddenbrookes Hospital Hills Road CB2 2QQ4500YP3934SMPeake (GB) LtdPeake (GB) LtdPeake GB Ltd Pengover PL14 3NQ5241GP3236AXPlymouth Hospitals NHS TrustDerriford Incinerator EPR/GP3236AX/T001Derriford Hospital Derriford Road PL6 8DH4270EP3530XYSRCL LtdIpswich Waste to Energy FacilityIpswich Waste to Energy Facility Woodbridge Road East Ipswich IP4 5PG8500ZP3230XCSRCL LimitedOldham Clinical Waste IncineratorRoyal Oldham Hospital Rochdale Road Oldham OL1 2JH7884ZP3730XJSRCL LimitedBolton Clinical Waste IncineratorRoyal Bolton Hospital Minerva Road Bolton BL4 0JR6570BT2866IGGrundon Waste Management LtdGRUNDON INCINERATOR COLNBROOKLakeside Clinical Waste Incinerator Lakeside Road Colnbrook SL3 0EG10000LP3037UUSRCL LtdHillingdon Clinical Waste IncineratorThe Incinerator Pield Heath Road UB8 3NN8000JP3133XPSRCL LtdSidcup Waste to Energy FacilityQueen Mary's Hospital Sidcup DA14 6LT8000HP3230XASRCL LtdAshford Clinical IncineratorWilliam Harvey Hospital Kennington Road Willesborough TN24 0LZ8500VP3130EFSRCL LimitedAvonmouth Clinical Waste IncineratorAvonmouth Clinical Waste Incinerator Holesmouth Road Avonmouth BS11 9BP6570PP3530XKSRCL LtdBournemouth Waste To Energy FacilityThe Incinerator Complex, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Bournemouth, Dorset BH7 7DW8000CP3930XLSRCL LtdKnostrop Clinical Waste IncineratorKnostrop Treatment Works Knowsthorpe Lane Leeds LS9 0PJ17000VP3136ZDTradebe Healthcare National LimitedRedditch Clinical Waste Treatment FacilityThe Incinerator, Alexandra Hospital Woodrow Drive B98 7UB10000WP3239SJVeolia ES Birmingham LimitedTyseley Energy from Waste PlantTyseley Waste Disposal Ltd James Road Birmingham B11 2BA5250BS5193IEVeolia ES Cleanaway (UK) LimitedEllesmere Port IncineratorBRIDGES ROAD SOUTH WIRRAL CH65 4EQ100000UP3034CNAugean Treatment LtdEast Kent Waste Recovery Facility EPR/UP3034CN/V003East Kent Waste Recovery Facility Ramsgate Road CT13 9ND13140FP3935KLTradebe Fawley LimitedTradebe Fawley HTI EPR/FP3935KL/V005Tradebe Fawley Limited Charleston Road Hythe SO45 3NX45000

Meat: Ritual Slaughter

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to respond to representations for greater clarity from consumers of meat products on whether the animals involved have been stunned.

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals requiring meat products to include labels denoting whether the animal had been stunned; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the right of the Jewish and Muslim communities to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. The Government is aware that there is public interest about meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs being sold to consumers who do not require their meat to be prepared in this way. Where meat is labelled as halal or kosher this must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer.   The Government believes that consumers should have the necessary information available to them to make an informed choice about their food and this is an issue that we are considering in the context of our departure from the EU.

Dangerous Dogs

Mr Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to legislate to provide for compensation to be payable to owners of animals in cases where the animal has been the victim of a dog attack that has resulted in substantial vet bills.

David Rutley: A claimant can make an application to the County Court to claim money they are owed by a person or business and this is relevant to cases involving dog attacks. The Civil Procedure Rules (Practice Direction 7A How to Start Proceedings, Part 8 Alternative Procedure for Claims and Part 27 The small claims track) set out the avenues that a claimant can use depending on whether the amount being claimed is known or not known. Given it is already possible to make a claim against persons owing them money, there are no plans for further legislation in this area.

Dogs: Meat

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials of his Department has had with colleagues in the US Administration on the recent ban on the human consumption of dog meat in that country.

David Rutley: It is already illegal to sell dog and cat meat for human consumption and the Government has seen no evidence that dog or cat meat is being sold or consumed in this country. We are aware that the USA has legislated to ban the slaughter of dogs for human consumption although we have not discussed the specific issues with the US Administration.

Waste Disposal

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the proportion of recyclable material collected by each local authority responsible for waste collection which is (a) recycled and (b) sent (i) to landfill, (ii) for incineration and (iii) for other non-recycling disposal.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Data on the weight of recycling collected and the subsequent processing of such material is reported by local authorities via the WasteDataFlow website: http://www.wastedataflow.org/home.aspx   Defra does not routinely generate or publish figures at local authority level on the proportions of waste specifically collected for recycling that is not reused or reprocessed. However, detailed data on the end destination of wastes at a local authority level is publicly available and can be downloaded from the WasteDataFlow website.   Defra publishes several datasets on local authority waste. The dataset “Local authority collected waste generation from April 2000 to March 2017 (England and regions) and local authority data April 2016 to March 2017)” found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env18-local-authority-collected-waste-annual-results-tables, contains the closest measure to those required by this question. This is “Local authority collected - estimated rejects” found in Table 1(a).   This is the estimated tonnage of all rejects from all waste streams at local authority level. This includes both waste specifically collected for recycling and materials separated from the residual waste stream but which are then subsequently rejected.   The dataset does not contain estimates of how these rejects were disposed of.   However, analysis undertaken earlier this year on detailed data at the national (England) level estimated that around 1.3% of the 11.1 million tonnes of waste collected for recycling in 2016/17 ended up in landfill (b). The 1.3% is calculated using the weight of material sent directly and indirectly to landfill and includes the weight of ash from rejected materials sent for incineration.

Environment Protection

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on environmental standards in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has made clear that environmental standards will not only be maintained but enhanced as we leave the EU.   Through the proposed Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration, both the UK and the EU have committed to prevent any reduction in the levels of environmental protections as they stand at the end of the implementation period, known as a non-regression provision, and to maintain existing international commitments.

Air Pollution: Children

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect children from the effect of toxic air on their health.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Stockton North, Alex Cunningham, on 27 November 2018, PQ UIN192868.

Air Pollution: Children

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money has been allocated to (a) local authorities and (b) other relevant bodies for the purpose of reducing children's exposure to air pollution in (i) 2018-19, (ii) 2017-18, (iii) 2016-17 and (iv) 2015-16; and how much money was allocated to each such (A) scheme and (B) project.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Stockton North, Alex Cunningham, on 27 November 2018, PQ UIN192868.

Dogs: Meat

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the human consumption of dog meat.

David Rutley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, Dr Lisa Cameron, on 12 November 2018, PQ UIN 187378.

Dogs: Electronic Training Aids

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the change in the number of dogs with electronic collars has been in the last two years.

David Rutley: The Electronic Collars Manufacturers Association, an industry representative group, estimates that there are currently around 500,000 e-collars in the UK. We do not hold information on how much the estimated number of e-collars in the UK has changed over the last two years.

Curlews: Special Protection Areas

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report entitled The status of UK SPAs in the 2000s: the Third Network Review, published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 2016, what representations have been received by (a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's non-departmental public bodies on completing the network of Special Protection Areas for Curlew in the breeding and non-breeding seasons.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: None.

Trees: Diseases

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidences of each notifiable tree disease have been reported to his Department; what species of tree was affected by each disease; and when the notifications were made.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service (THDAS) at Forest Research provides advice and where possible diagnosis and identification of tree pests and pathogens. The Forestry Commission has developed TreeAlert, an online tool to help gather information about the health of the nation's trees, woodlands and forests, which allows individuals to report any suspected tree pests and diseases. Over half of the enquiries received at THDAS come through TreeAlert. The rest of the enquiries come via email, letter, telephone or visitors.   From 2015 to 30 September 2018, THDAS identified 1820 cases of notifiable trees pests and diseases. Of these, ash dieback and oak processionary moth were the most frequently reported notifiable pests and diseases. The reports received included a range of different tree species affected by pests and diseases.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many in-flight files of EU legislation exist that affect the policy areas managed by his Department; and which in-flight files of EU legislation his Department intends to implement in UK law.

David Rutley: During the time-limited implementation period, EU law will continue to apply in the UK subject to the terms set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. After the implementation period, all laws in the UK will be passed by our elected representatives in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. The Political Declaration recognises that the UK may choose to align with the EU’s rules in relevant areas to facilitate trade in goods or security cooperation. In the unlikely event that the backstop were to come into effect, a small fraction of EU rules applying today would apply in Northern Ireland and EU rules on state aid would apply in the UK. However, as the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration make absolutely clear, we do not want or expect the backstop to be needed – and even if it ever were to come into effect, it would be strictly temporary. The Official Journal of the European Union publishes upcoming EU legislation for implementation. This is publicly available online:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/oj/direct-access.html

Insecticides

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the use of Redigo Deter by farmers; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: Redigo Deter is a seed treatment for cereal crops which contains clothianidin, a neonicotinoid insecticide. It will cease to be authorised for use after 19 December this year. This is because all outdoor use of clothianidin and two other neonicotinoids is being prohibited. These restrictions are necessary in the light of growing evidence that all three neonicotinoids can harm pollinators.

Hunting

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle trophy hunting across the world.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government takes the conservation of species seriously and we will always do whatever we can to protect the world’s most iconic species. The UK is a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) a global environmental agreement which aims to protect wildlife from unsustainable trade. Trophy hunting is not banned under CITES but Parties are required to have strict controls in place when trade in hunting trophies takes place. A permit will only be issued if no detrimental impact on the sustainability of endangered species can be shown and the trophy has been obtained from a legal and sustainable hunting operation.   Some conservation non-governmental organisations have set out how, in certain limited and rigorously controlled cases, scientific evidence shows that trophy hunting can be an effective conservation tool.

Home Office

Crime: Greater Manchester

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department has had with Greater Manchester Police on the effect of (a) funding and (b) the number of police officers on tackling (i) serious and organised and (ii) gun crime in Greater Manchester.

Mr Nick Hurd: Home Office Ministers have regular discussions with law enforcement partners as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) coordinates the operational response of police forces across the UK (including GMP), however, the size and composition of the police workforce is an operational decision for chief officers. The Home Office is working with the NPCC Serious and Or-ganised Crime (SOC) leads to implement the SOC Strategy.The Government is committed to tackling gun crime and is taking steps to address the issue. This includes measures taken forward in the Offensive Weapons Bill to ban certain rapid firing rifles, and bump stocks, introducing greater regulation of antique firearms, consulting on statutory guidance on firearms licensing to improve standards and the consistency of police licensing decisions, and tightening controls on firearms dealers.We will ensure the police have the resources they need and police resources will be a priority for the Home Office at the next Spending Review. Overall, public investment in policing is growing by over £1bn from £11.9 billion in 2015/16 to £13 billion in 2018/19, including counter-terrorism policing, local policing and funding of national programmes

Domestic Violence: Greater London

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been provided by his Department for (a) domestic violence prevention programmes and (b) services to support victims of domestic violence in (i) London and (ii) the London borough of Lewisham.

Victoria Atkins: The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy sets out an ambitious programme to make tackling VAWG everybody’s business.Over this spending review period, we are providing £100 million of dedicated funding to tackle VAWG. VAWG services are mainly commissioned at a local level by Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities and health commissioners. The Government’s VAWG National Statement of Expectations encourages such decisions to be taken at a local level and driven by local need.We created a £17 million 3-year VAWG Service Transformation Fund, which is funding projects across 41 areas in England and Wales to embed local best practice and ensure that early intervention and prevention, not crisis response, is the norm.Over £2.4m is supporting six London Boroughs, including Lewisham, to deliver domestic abuse focused projects aiming to prevent future or further perpetration and protect victims and survivors.£900,000 is supporting three innovative prevention programmes, in Sutton, Lambeth and Waltham Forest, and £1.4m of the funding is supporting projects to enhance the support and response for victims of domestic abuse. More details of the funding are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/violence-against-women-and-girls-service-transformation-fund-successful-bids-2017-to-2020Additionally, the Mayors Office of Policing and Crime (MOPAC) are being provided with £2.86M to 2020 from the Police Transformation Fund to support the Drive project, a preventative response to priority high risk perpetrators of domestic abuseThe Home Office also supports the national VAWG Helplines and recently committed funding of up to £1.1m per annum for these services until 2021.

Fireworks: Injuries

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases are known to officials of his Department of people who have been injured due to the misuse of fireworks since 2015.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office does not collect the information requested.

Missing Persons

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are registered as missing in the UK.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office does not hold this data centrally. Individual police forces hold information about current missing persons incidents. Annual missing people statistics, broken down to police force level, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit (http://missingpersons.police.uk/en/resources/downloads).We are working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver a National Register of Missing Persons (NRMP) which will enable us to have a snapshot of live missing incidents across police forces in England and Wales. This will assist officers when they encounter a missing person particularly if that missing person is outside their home force area.We are currently working towards the NRMP to be in use operationally in 2020/2021.

Police: Cameras

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many BMV cameras have been deployed in police forces in England and Wales.

Mr Nick Hurd: Nearly 80,000 BWV cameras have been deployed in police forces in England and Wales.

Serious Violence Taskforce

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions the Serious Violence Taskforce has met.

Victoria Atkins: The Serious Violence Taskforce has met 5 times since it was established. The first meeting was on 26 April and the Home Secretary has since chaired four meetings of the Taskforce on 11 June, 17 July, 22 October and 21 No-vember. The Taskforce is next due to meet on 9 January 2019.

Europol

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure the maintenance of the UK's leading status in Europol after the implementation period of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has put forward proposals for an ambitious agreement with the EU that provides a comprehensive framework for our future security, law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation that and delivers the capabilities our operational partners need to keep our people safe.These proposals cover Europol and are set out in full in the White Paper on “The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union” published in July 2018.As part of the Political Declaration, the UK and EU have agreed to continue cooperating through Europol in the future. The exact terms of that relationship will be for negotiation.

Crimes of Violence: International Cooperation

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to host an international violent crime symposium.

Victoria Atkins: As set out in the Serious Violence Strategy, the Home Office hosted an International Violent Crime Symposium on 14 November.The event brought together around 100 leading international and UK academics, senior police leaders, experts and practitioners, including academics and senior law enforcement officers from the United States, Sweden, Canada, Netherlands and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The Symposium provided an opportunity to hear how other countries are responding to the increases in violence that they have experienced.

Internet: Crime

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to publish the joint White Paper with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on online harms.

Victoria Atkins: The Government intends to publish a White Paper in Winter 2018/19, which will set out our plans to tackle online harms and set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe.

Deportation: Libya

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Libyan nationals have been deported as a result of being suspected members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group since 2010.

Mr Ben Wallace: We do not routinely comment on specific reasons for deportation. The Home Office publishes the total number of Foreign National Offenders who have been removed from the UK with reference to nationality. This information can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758248/returns5-sep-2018-tables.ods

Asylum: Cardiff South and Penarth

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers (a) with children and (b) without children resided in the Cardiff South and Penarth constituency and were subsequently held in detention centres each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: We do not hold the data required to answer the question in the requested format specifically regarding those asylum seekers who were residing in the Cardiff and South Penarth constituency and who were subsequently held in detention centres.However information relating to people detained or returned is available within published statistics and can be accessed via the following;https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to plan for processing new residence documents as outlined in Article 18 of the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is introducing the EU Settlement Scheme to enable EU citizens who have chosen to make their lives here to obtain the UK immigration status they need in accordance with Article 18 of the Withdrawal Agreement.The Scheme will be fully open by 30 March 2019 and will be delivered through a streamlined, digital application process. In preparation, the Scheme entered private beta testing in August and is now in the second phase of that testing. This approach is now standard for the launch of new government services and enables the system and processes to be tested to ensure that they work effectively before being fully introduced.

Educational Testing Service

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer dated 4 December 2018 to Question 197314, in what circumstances was it (a) relevant and (b) not relevant to require people with TOEIC certificates whose results were found by ETS to be questionable to undertake a fresh test or an interview.

Caroline Nokes: Information on the circumstances in which it was relevant to require a fresh test and an interview with a Home Office official was provided to the HASC on 17 August 2016. A link is provided here:http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home-affairs-committee/english-language-testing/written/36543.pdf Question 114 contains the information requested.

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Department for Exiting the European Union policy paper entitled Citizens’ Rights - EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU published on 6 December 2018, how the Government will distinguish between EU citizens who are resident in the UK before 29 March 2019 and those who arrive after that date.

Caroline Nokes: The Government has been clear that, in an unlikely no deal scenario, the UK will honour its commitment to all EU citizens, and their family members resident by 29 March 2019, that they will be able to remain in the UK. This will be done through the EU Settlement Scheme.EU citizens will need to provide evidence of their residence in the UK by 29 March 2019 in line with the requirements for the Scheme. Where possible, we will confirm it through automated checks of HMRC and DWP data. It will also be possible for applicants to submit a wide range of documentary evidence to prove their residence. Guidance on how applicants can evidence their residence in the UK is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-evidence-of-uk-residence#submitting-documents-as-evidence-of-residence. .

Mental Health Act 1983 Independent Review

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,  with reference to the Final report of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, published on 6 December 2018, what steps his Department plans to take in respect of the recommendation that the Government should encourage ongoing work to explore how the use of restraint by police is reduced when supporting people experiencing mental distress.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody is overseeing work to consider whether there are alternatives to police use of prolonged physical restraint that could increase detainee safety, especially in the context of mental health crises. This work is being undertaken in consultation with police and healthcare partners.Alongside this, the College of Policing will publish evidence based guidelines on ‘Safer Resolution’ early next year. These guidelines will provide recommendations to police forces on how they can develop de-escalation training to reduce the likelihood that officers will need to use restraint to resolve issues.The College is also working with police forces to develop and pilot de-escalation training in the new financial year which will help to strengthen the evidence base for effective de-escalation training.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what dates his Department had meetings with representatives from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority on the Seasonal Workers Pilot in the agricultural sector.

Caroline Nokes: Officials have been in regular contact with the Gangmasters Licencing and Abuse Authority (GLAA), throughout the design of the pilot. A meeting is scheduled for 12 December 2018, which will enable us to draw on the expertise of the GLAA when visiting agricultural sites.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the UK is able unilaterally to withdraw from the proposed EU withdrawal agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Kwasi Kwarteng: It is a matter of customary international law, by which the UK is bound, that unilateral termination is prohibited outside the terms of a treaty. The Withdrawal Agreement contains no provision regarding termination and therefore, once in force, the UK would not be able unilaterally to terminate it.

Brexit

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much the Government plans to spend on preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal in each month until March 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department does not record expenditure or forecasts against potential outcomes. It records expenditure and forecasts on a functional basis.The Department will be fulfilling its objectives within our Spending Review settlement, which provides funding through to March 2020.Based on this, we are expecting to fulfill our Departmental objectives within our budget allocations up to March 2019 which totals £96m for 2018/19.

Court of Justice of the European Union

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the publications entitled, Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom and Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, what (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation will be required to facilitate the measures in relation to the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the publications entitled, Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom and Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, what (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation will be required to facilitate the measures contained in relation to the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government has secured a deal which takes back control of our laws; it ends the jurisdiction of the CJEU in the UK and instead means our laws being made in our Parliaments, enforced by our courts.There will be a limited and clearly defined role for the CJEU as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. The EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill will implement the Withdrawal Agreement in UK law.

Brexit

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the cost to the public purse was of the Government's case against the ECJ's hearing whether the UK is able unilaterally to revoke its decision to leave the EU.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government does not have a final figure for its costs, but in our Annual Report and Accounts for Financial Year 18/19, there will be a disclosure of the Department's legal costs.

Fisheries: UK Relations with EU

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has received a commitment from the EU that future arrangements for fisheries between the UK and the EU will not be linked to the future UK-EU economic partnership.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Political Declaration is clear. The UK and the EU have agreed that a fisheries agreement should be established on, amongst other things, access to waters and quota shares. Consistent with the Withdrawal Agreement, the Political Declaration also states that the UK and the EU have agreed to aim to conclude this agreement by 1 July 2020.We have firmly rejected a link between access to our waters and access to markets. The fisheries agreement is not something we will be trading off against any other priorities.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Travel

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the cost to the public purse was of travel between the UK and Brussels by Ministers, civil servants and ministerial staff in each month for which figures are available since June 2017.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has spent £291,694 since the beginning of Financial Year 17/18 to Brussels. This figure is made of £138,000 in Financial Year 17/18 whilst current spend in Financial Year 18/19 is £153,694.

Trade Agreements

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Withdrawal Agreement will allow the UK to negotiate trade deals with third countries.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As set out in Article 129 of the Withdrawal Agreement, during the Implementation Period the UK will be able to negotiate, sign and ratify our own free trade agreements with new partners, and bring them into force after the implementation period.Furthermore, the text of the Political Declaration is clear that whatever is agreed in the future partnership must recognise the development of an independent UK trade policy beyond this economic partnership.

Brexit

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many people were involved in negotiating the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Negotiating the Withdrawal Agreement required a cross-government effort, supporting the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU in delivering the negotiations.

Customs Unions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the UK is not forced to stay in a customs union by the EU.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The agreed Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, in the Withdrawal Agreement, guarantees that even in the event that the UK’s future relationship with the EU is not in place by the end of the Implementation Period, there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. The Withdrawal Agreement provides for a single customs territory between the UK and the EU. This ensures that Northern Ireland remains in the same customs territory as Great Britain, while meeting our commitments to the people of Northern Ireland to ensure no hard border on the island of Ireland. Both sides have been clear that the backstop is an insurance policy which we do not expect to use, and if needed, is explicitly temporary.The Political Declaration is clear that there will be an economic partnership between the UK and the EU with no tariffs or quotas, with ambitious customs arrangements that build and improve on the Withdrawal Agreement. In building and improving on the arrangements in the Withdrawal Agreement, the Political Declaration is clear that the UK and EU will act in line with the objectives and principles of the agreement, including the development of an independent UK trade policy beyond the economic partnership with the EU.Preparatory organisational work for the formal negotiations on the future relationship will begin as soon as the Withdrawal Agreement is concluded, and before the UK leaves the EU, focusing on key issues such as the development of alternative arrangements for ensuring the absence of a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland on a permanent footing.

Borders: Northern Ireland

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for a hard border on the island of Ireland of the UK leaving the EU without a deal and trading on WTO terms.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The backstop is our ultimate safeguard in the event there is a gap between the end of the implementation period and the start of our new ambitious relationship, we will uphold the commitments of the Belfast Agreement and ensure there’s no return to a hard border. This is essential to safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of the people of Northern Ireland.The UK Government is clear that, in the event of no deal, we will do everything in our power to prevent a return to a hard border. In such a scenario, we must continue to respect our unique relationship with Ireland, with whom we share a land border and who are co-signatories of the Belfast Agreement.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Facebook

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2018 to Question 188822 on Department for Exiting the European Union: Facebook, which geographies including the details of any postcodes used have been targeted by his Department to ensure that their adverts are optimised to reach the right audience.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has previously confirmed (Question 188822) that a geographical targeted approach was used to ensure effective communication through social media.Social media campaigns, including Facebook, have targeted EU citizens to communicate the progress of the UK’s EU exit. This has included the following countries:UKHungaryLuxembourgEstoniaLatviaSloveniaLithuaniaCroatiaRomaniaSlovakiaFinlandDenmarkBulgariaAustriaSwedenPortugalCzech RepublicGreeceNetherlandsPolandIrelandBelgiumItalySpainFranceGermany

EU Action

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will list all outstanding infraction proceedings which the EU is pursuing against the UK; and what estimate he has made of the potential resultant costs to the public purse from those proceedings.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The UK has 64 open infraction cases at present.Full details of all open infraction cases are publically available on the European Commission's ‘Infringement Decisions’ website.The UK has never previously been fined in relation to an infraction case and continues to engage constructively in the EU’s infraction process.

Treasury

Brexit

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that the views of civil society organisations are included in the insight from external stakeholders document that will be provided to Members before voting on the EU withdrawal agreement.

John Glen: The Government has met its commitment to provide appropriate analysis to Parliament ahead of the vote on the final deal. This analysis brings together the best expertise and experience from departments across government, and insight from external stakeholders. Ministers and officials from across Government regularly engage with a range of external experts and other stakeholders in order to inform our negotiations, and to understand their concerns and priorities regarding our EU exit

Social Services: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the revenue that will accrue to the public purse from an age-related levy to pay for social care; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The revenue raised by any new tax or levy would depend on the way it is designed, including how the tax base is defined, how the tax is structured, and the rate or rates of taxation applied to the base. It would also depend on the economic circumstances at the time the tax or levy is introduced.

Network Rail: Finance

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Network Rail is entitled to carry over funds for each financial year in Control Period 6 between 2019 and 2024.

Elizabeth Truss: Given the size of its capital spending portfolio, Network Rail will be granted financial flexibilities over its spending which will allow it to move funds between financial years, to reflect the inherent volatility of capital spending. These flexibilities were set out in the Department for Transport’s response to the Office of Rail and Road’s second consultation on Periodic Review 18’s financial framework, published in June 2018, available at http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/27862/pr18-responses-to-second-consultation-on-the-financial-framework.pdf

Research: EU Grants and Loans

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the funding made available to underwrite successful bids by UK organisations to (a) Horizon 2020 and (b) other competitive EU grant programmes is planned to be redistributed from existing UK research budgets in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Elizabeth Truss: The HMG guarantee covers successful competitive bids made before the UK leaves the EU, for the lifetime of the project. This guarantee was extended in July 2018 to cover all EU projects agreed before the end of 2020, where the UK will be eligible to participate as a third country. If the UK leaves the EU next year without reaching an overall withdrawal agreement, HM Treasury will make funding available to departments to cover projects under the guarantee, which includes Horizon 2020. This funding will be additional to existing departmental budgets. Relevant departments will then be responsible for allocating this funding to UK organisations.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Customs Declaration Service will be fully operational by January 2019.

Mel Stride: Full Customer Declaration Service (CDS) functionality is expected to be in place by the end of March 2019 and a carefully managed customer migration from the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system to CDS will continue until all traders have been moved to the new service. HMRC is dual running CHIEF alongside CDS until migration is completed.

A303 and Lower Thames Crossing: Private Finance Initiative

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November to Question 188205, what range of models involving investment in infrastructure his Department plans to use to meet the proposals set out in the 2017 National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

Robert Jenrick: The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline has been updated for 2018 and was published on the 26 November. This sets out planned and projected investment of over £600 billion over the next decade.The UK uses a mixed model, using both public and private investment, to fund and finance its infrastructure.Funding and financing arrangements for individual projects and programmes are outlined in the pipeline spreadsheet.

Small Businesses: Taxation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to advise small and medium-sized businesses on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on tax regulations.

Mel Stride: In the unlikely event that we leave the EU without a deal, HM Revenue and Customs has published a ‘Partnership Pack’ to help businesses to prepare for changes at the UK border. The government has also published a technical notice to help businesses prepare for changes to VAT from March 2019 in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario. HMRC will ensure that further information will be made available to small and medium sized businesses in due course through established channels.

National Income

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will produce a regional breakdown for the estimated change in GDP predicted to occur in the event that (a) the UK adopts the Government’s proposed EU withdrawal agreement, (b) the UK leaves the EU and adopts a basic Free Trade Agreement and (c) the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

John Glen: The Office for National Statistics do not publish estimates of regional GDP. However, they do publish estimates of regional Gross Value Added, which is a very similar measure. This data is used in the Government’s analysis. The Government’s analysis provides estimates of long-run changes to regional GVA in four scenarios – modelled White Paper, modelled EEA-type, modelled average FTA, and modelled no deal - compared to today’s arrangements. The analysis shows that all regions and nations of the UK will be better off in the modelled white paper scenario than in the modelled no-deal.

Training: Expenditure

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the UK spent as a proportion of GDP on in-work training for 2017-18; and how that figure compares to the average spends within the (a) G7 and (b) EU.

Elizabeth Truss: The Employer Skills Survey 2017, published in August 2018, states that UK employer expenditure on training and development in 2017 was £44.2bn, which represented approximately 2.2% of GDP. The primary government support for in-work training is the Apprenticeship Programme, which is funded by a 0.5% levy on all UK businesses with a wage bill over £3m each year. In 2017/18, the levy raised around £2.6bn, which was made available to the Department for Education to fund apprenticeships and skills training in England, and the devolved administrations, who received their share of the levy in the normal way to spend on their priorities. HM Treasury does not collect or hold direct international comparisons for these statistics.

Transport: Infrastructure

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the UK spent as a proportion of GDP on transport infrastructure in 2017-18; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the proportion of UK GDP spent on transport infrastructure compared with the average proportion spent by (a) the G7 and (b) the EU.

Elizabeth Truss: In 2017-18, the UK’s public sector expenditure was £20.5 billion on transport capital investment. This is roughly 1% of GDP – a 0.25 percentage point increase on 4 years ago. Reliable international comparisons for transport infrastructure spend are difficult due to data availability. Within the UK, the devolved administrations also have responsibilities for transport investment. However, this government is building on this investment with the £28.8 billion National Roads Fund announced at Budget to invest in English roads, £47.9 billion for the railway in England and Wales in Control Period 6 and undertaking one of the largest engineering projects in Europe – HS2.

European Investment Bank

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2018 to Question 196880 on the European Investment Bank (EIB), what steps his Department is taking to (a) control, (b) manage and (c) oversee (i) risks and (ii) liabilities arising from EIB activities and the exposure of the UK to those risks after the UK leaves the EU.

John Glen: The Withdrawal Agreement (WA) set the framework for the management, control and oversight of the UK’s EIB risk and ongoing liabilities. As part of the WA the UK secured the return of its €3.5bn capital in the EIB. The UK will maintain its contingent liability for financial operations approved before the WA enters into force to ensure existing projects face no disruption. This commitment will decrease as the back book of loans runs down and only in very exceptional circumstances would the EIB call upon the UK to contribute further amounts to the Bank; to date, the EIB has never called on Member States in this way. If this guarantee were called upon, any support would be provided on equal terms with Member States.As set out in the WA the EIB is obligated to send the UK annual details of the UK’s remaining exposure and the limit on the UK’s liabilities to the EIB in addition to details of any material changes that could impact the UK’s liabilities.

Married People: Tax Allowances

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to increase the marriage allowance.

Mel Stride: Every time the personal allowance increases, the marriage allowance automatically becomes more generous.The increase to personal allowance announced at Budget 2018 means that in 2019-20, an individual will be able to transfer £1,250 to a partner, compared to £1,060 in 2015-16.This means that in 2019-20, eligible couples can receive a tax reduction of up to £250, or £1,150 if they make a backdated claim to 2015-16.

Block Grant: Scotland

Stephen Kerr: What assessment he has made of the effect of recent budgetary decisions on the Scottish block grant.

Elizabeth Truss: At Budget we announced a £700m increase in the Scottish block grant for 19/20 because of the additional money we are spending across the country.

Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: What further steps he plans to take to support credit unions.

John Glen: The government remains committed to supporting credit unions, which provide vital services to local communities. At Autumn Budget 2018, the Chancellor announced a package of measures to support the social and community lending sector, including credit unions. This includes a prize-linked savings scheme for credit unions, simplifying regulation to make it easier for Registered Social Landlords to refer to credit unions, and a challenge fund to create technological solutions for credit unions and Community Development Finance Institutions.

Bankruptcy: Tax Avoidance

Zac Goldsmith: What estimate he has made of the number of people who will be made bankrupt as a result of the 2019 Loan Charge.

Mel Stride: The Government recognises the charge on DR loans will have a significant impact on some people who have used schemes where loans were used to avoid paying tax on earnings. An impact assessment was published when the measure was announced at Budget 2016. HMRC wants to help people put things right and has an outstanding track record of helping people, but it can only help those who come forward.

Industry

Neil O'Brien: What progress has been made on the creation of local industrial strategies.

Robert Jenrick: We will work with all Local Enterprise Partnerships and Mayoral Combined Authorities across England to develop Local Industrial Strategies. We have already been working with Greater Manchester, West Midlands, and partners across the Oxford-Cambridge Arc to develop ‘trailblazer’ Local Industrial Strategies, which we expect to be completed in the first half of next year. We will then be working with a second ‘wave’ of places including the Leicester & Leicestershire LEP that covers Harborough.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Mobile Phones: Young People

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with mobile phone networks on preventing under-18s accessing inappropriate material.

Margot James: Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with mobile network operators on a range of issues, including safeguarding children. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) provide a filter to restrict access to content that is unsuitable for customers under the age of 18. This has been the practice since the trade association, Mobile UK, first published a UK code of practice in 2004. The MNOs set these filters in accordance with a framework developed by the British Board of Film Classification. Through the Digital Economy Act (2017), we are introducing the requirement for commercial providers of online pornography to have robust age verification controls in place to prevent under 18s accessing pornographic material. These controls will be at network level and effective regardless of the type of device being used.

Huawei

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions has he had with Huawei regarding security concerns from other nations.

Margot James: The UK government works with Huawei and other telecoms suppliers to manage cyber security risks while ensuring the UK can continue to benefit from new technology. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has met with Huawei on a range of matters.

Internet: Mass Media

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with online media providers on preventing fake news from being placed on their platforms.

Margot James: Ministers and officials regularly meet with the major tech and social media companies to discuss their progress in tackling disinformation and other online harms. We will continue to have robust dialogue with the companies and press them to be transparent about the scale of the problem on their platforms and the steps they are taking to address it.

5G

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendations for spectrum licensing made in the report, High Performance Wireless Broadband: An Opportunity for Rural and Enterprise 5G, published by the Independent Networks Cooperative Association in June 2018.

Margot James: We are clear that spectrum should be used efficiently and effectively, given its importance to the economy. In the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, the Government stated its view that the development of a set of innovative 5G services and new investment models may require more flexible approaches to spectrum licensing. We have read the report with interest. Ofcom, as the national regulatory authority, is responsible for managing spectrum and ensuring that radio spectrum is used in the most effective way.

National Gallery: Employment Tribunals Service

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the total cost to the public purse is of the tribunal involving the National Gallery which commenced on 26 November 2018.

Michael Ellis: As of 7 December, the National Gallery has spent £87,359.74 (inclusive of VAT) on external legal advice and representation in regards to the tribunal.

Arts: Productivity

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of measures of productivity for the UK creative sector.

Margot James: The Office for National Statistics produces estimates of productivity for high-level industry groups, but not to the level of detail of the creative industries sector. DCMS has not carried out an assessment of any alternative measures of productivity of the UK creative sector.

Northern Ireland Office

Trade Agreements: Northern Ireland

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the effect on the Northern Ireland economy of potential changes to the trade relationship with the rest of the UK as a result of the backstop provisions in the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

John Penrose: The Northern Ireland Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Women and Equalities

Access to Elected Office for Disabled People

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 May 2018 on Access to Elected Office for Disabled People, HCWS695, when she plans to publish further information on the scheme; and how candidates for the English local elections in 2019 can apply to the new fund.

Victoria Atkins: On 3 December, the Minister for Women and Equalities launched the £250,000 EnAble Fund for Elected Office to support disabled candidates, primarily for the forthcoming English local elections in 2019.This is an interim fund while the Government undertakes a programme of work with disability stakeholders to help major and smaller political parties better support disabled candidates. Disability Rights UK, the largest pan-disability organisation in the UK, supported by the Local Government Association, will deliver the fund.The EnAble Fund is now open for candidates to apply and political parties have been notified. Further information is available via this link: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/enablefund.

Government Equalities Office: Meetings

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2018 to Question 194662 and Question 194663 on Government Equalities Office: Meetings, on how many occasions (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have held meetings with (i) Mermaids UK, (ii) Stonewall and (iii) Gendered Intelligence, (iv) Transgendered Trend, (v) Fair Play for Women and (vi) A Woman's Place in each of the last three years.

Victoria Atkins: A) Since becoming the Minister for Women and Equalities in April this year, The Minister has had one introductory meeting with Stonewall to discuss LGBT policy, and one meeting with The Founder of a Women’s Place.B) Since beginning its consultation engagement work in September 2017, the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) consultation team have met with the named organisations on the following number of occasions:i. Mermaids: onceii. Stonewall: four timesiii. Gendered Intelligence (GI): three timesiv. Transgender Trend: twicev. Fair Play For Women (FPFW): twicevi. A Woman’s Place (WP): three timesDuring the GRA consultation, officials in the Government Equalities Office also held roundtables with various groups, including: one on the topic of prisons and offender management, which was attended by FPFW; one with women’s organisations and charities, which was attended by FPFW and WP; one with LGBT organisations, which was attended by Stonewall, GI and Mermaids; and one focused on Wales, which was attended by Stonewall Cymru.